GAO: Social Security isn't ready for baby boomers

[The Straight Story]

GAO: Social Security isn't ready for baby boomers
By Brittany R. Ballenstedt [e-mail] February 10, 2009

Staffing and budget constraints combined with an increase in retirement and disability filings by the aging baby boomer population pose significant challenges for the Social Security Administration, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office.

The number of employees at SSA field offices fell from 28,790 in 2005 to 27,534 in 2008, representing a 4.4 percent drop, the report (GAO-09-24) stated. This was largely because of retirements and inadequate appropriations from Congress, auditors said.

Despite the smaller staff, the amount of work produced at the field offices decreased only 1.3 percent during the same period, largely because SSA deferred lower priority tasks, transferred work from busy offices to those with lighter loads, and redirected some employees from their usual responsibilities to meet critical needs, GAO said.

But, the loss of staff still appears to have taken a toll in the form of longer customer wait times and poor phone service, according to the report. These factors might have contributed to a 3 percentage point decrease in SSA's overall customer satisfaction rating, from 84 percent in fiscal 2005 to 81 percent in fiscal 2008, according to GAO.

Additionally, SSA faces a mounting backlog of work that will likely be exacerbated by a rise in retirements and disability filings, the report noted. The agency anticipates its annual workload will increase by about 1 million annual claims by 2017, GAO stated. The agency also has predicted that 44 percent of its staff will retire by 2016.

http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=42011&dcn=todaysnews

[napi21]

1. They have made some changes that has cut down on the work.

I just applied for SS benefits last September, and I was able to do it almost all online. The only paper part of the transaction was that I had to send my birth certificate and a signed form to them by mail. They promised to return the papers as soon as they were through with them, and I received them all back within 4 days. That not only saves the applicant time and expense of getting to the SS office, but it saves the SS personnel time too. Eveything went perfectly and I started receiving my checks in October.

It certainly was a lot simpler than when my husband applied the year before me and we had to go to the office, wait to meet with someone, etc.