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>> WE'VE SEEN SEVERAL STEPS IN THE DISABILITY PROCESS AND HOW
REACHING THE RIGHT DECISION IS TRULY A TEAM EFFORT.
BUT BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO THE FINAL LEVEL, IS THERE ANY TEAM
MEMBER WE'VE LEFT OUT?
>> YES THERE IS, DON.
THERE'S AN ENTIRE COMPONENT THAT WE MENTIONED IN PASSING BUT HAVE
NOT TALKED ABOUT BECAUSE IT DEALS PRIMARILY WITH PEOPLE
WHO'VE BEEN AWARDED DISABILITY BENEFITS ALREADY.
IT'S THE PAYMENT CENTER.
THE PAYMENT CENTERS ARE LOCATED AROUND THE COUNTRY AND HAVE A
WIDE VARIETY OF FUNCTIONS.
IN ADDITION TO PROVIDING DISABILITY RELATED ASSISTANCE
TO THE FIELD OFFICES, STATE AGENCIES, AND HEARING OFFICES,
MOST PAYMENT CENTERS ALSO HELP PROCESS RETIREMENT AND
SURVIVOR CLAIMS.
THE LARGEST PAYMENT CENTER PROCESSES DISABILITY CLAIMS
FOR UNITED STATES RESIDENTS UNDER AGE 54.
THERE'S EVEN A PAYMENT CENTER THAT HANDLES ACTIONS FOR
BENEFICIARIES LOCATED OUTSIDE OF THE UNITED STATES.
THE PAYMENT CENTERS PLAY AN IMPORTANT SUPPORTIVE ROLE IN
THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE DISABILITY PROGRAM.
I LEARNED THAT PAYMENT CENTER EMPLOYEES PROVIDE ASSISTANCE
AT SEVERAL STEPS IN THE DISABILITY PROCESS,
EVEN AT THE VERY BEGINNING.
FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN MR. KAY FIRST CONTACTED SOCIAL SECURITY BY
CALLING THE 1-800 NUMBER, INSTEAD OF SPEAKING TO AN
EMPLOYEE IN THE TELESERVICE CENTER, HE COULD HAVE SPOKEN
TO A PAYMENT CENTER EMPLOYEE IN A SPIKE UNIT.
SPIKE UNIT EMPLOYEES ANSWER INCOMING CALLS DURING PEAK
OR EXTREMELY BUSY PERIODS, PARTICULARLY AROUND THE FIRST
OF EVERY MONTH.
TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE PAYMENT CENTER'S ROLE IN THE
DISABILITY PROCESS, WE SPOKE TO CHRISTINE WHITE, THE DIRECTOR
OF THIS PAYMENT CENTER.
>> MS. WHITE, BY FOLLOWING MR. KAY'S CLAIM, WE'VE LEARNED A
LOT ABOUT THE DISABILITY PROCESS.
AND AS YOU KNOW, HIS CLAIM WAS DENIED.
WILL THE PAYMENT CENTER EVER SEE HIS CLAIM?
>> WE MIGHT.
ALL DOMESTIC PAYMENT CENTERS PROCESS FAVORABLE ADMINISTRATIVE
LAW JUDGE DECISIONS.
THEY ALSO PROCESS POSTENTITLEMENT ISSUES
FOR DISABILITY BENEFICIARIES THAT CAN'T BE PROCESSED IN A
FIELD OFFICE.
ALSO, ALL PAYMENT CENTERS HAVE A COMPONENT THAT GIVE FEDERAL
ASSISTANCE TO STATE AGENCIES BY HELPING THEM WITH THEIR INITIAL
DISABILITY CLAIMS WORKLOADS.
>> AND SO WHAT ELSE DO THE PAYMENT CENTERS DO?
>> WELL, THEY ALSO REVIEW ALLOWED CLAIMS FOR FUTURE
ACTIONS.
THEN STAFF IN THE PAYMENT CENTERS SET UP AND BEGIN THE
ACTUAL BENEFIT PAYMENTS.
THE PAYMENT CENTER ALSO PROCESSES CONTINUING
DISABILITY REVIEWS.
SOCIAL SECURITY LAW REQUIRES THAT ALL DISABILITY CLAIMS BE
REVIEWED PERIODICALLY TO MAKE SURE THAT BENEFICIARIES STILL
MEET SOCIAL SECURITY'S DISABILITY REQUIREMENTS.
>> SO THE PAYMENT CENTER GETS INVOLVED IN THE CONTINUING
DISABILITY REVIEW PROCESS?
>> YES, WE DO.
THE PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS WORKLOAD, OF COURSE, LIES
WITH THE STATE AGENCIES, BUT THE PAYMENT CENTERS ASSIST THEM WITH
THIS WORKLOAD.
>> HOW OFTEN DOES SOCIAL SECURITY PERFORM THESE
CONTINUING DISABILITY REVIEWS?
>> WELL, THE FREQUENCY OF THE REVIEWS DEPENDS ON A FEW THINGS;
ON THE NATURE AND SEVERITY OF THE IMPAIRMENT, ALSO ON WHETHER
ANY MEDICAL IMPROVEMENT IS ANTICIPATED.
THE PAYMENT CENTERS ARE ALSO HEAVILY INVOLVED IN THE WORK
RELATED CONTINUING DISABILITY REVIEW PROCESS.
SOCIAL SECURITY REGULARLY REVIEWS THE EARNINGS RECORDS
OF DISABILITY BENEFICIARIES TO ENSURE THEY'RE NOT EARNING
INCOME OVER THE SUBSTANTIAL GAINFUL ACTIVITY AMOUNT.
AFTER SERVING A NINE MONTH TRIAL WORK PERIOD, IF A DISABILITY
BENEFICIARY EARNS OVER THE AMOUNT CONSIDERED SUBSTANTIAL
EARNINGS, WE MAY SUSPEND HIS OR HER BENEFITS AND EVENTUALLY
TERMINATE THEM DUE TO THAT WORK.
>> AS YOU SAW, DON, THE PAYMENT CENTERS ARE AN IMPORTANT PART
OF THE DISABILITY PROCESS.
MS. WHITE EVEN WENT ON TO SAY THAT PAYMENT CENTERS PLAY AN
ACTIVE ROLE WHEN A DISABILITY BENEFICIARY ATTEMPTS TO RETURN
TO WORK.
>> SO THE PAYMENT CENTERS ARE YET ANOTHER MEMBER OF
THE SOCIAL SECURITY TEAM?
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
AND AS YOU'LL SEE IN OUR NEXT SEGMENT, IT'S NOT THE LAST.
MR. KAY DECIDED TO FILE A CIVIL SUIT IN FEDERAL COURT.
>> MS. PEREZ, I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU FILED A CIVIL SUIT ON BEHALF
OF MR. KAY IN FEDERAL COURT.
>> THAT'S CORRECT, LISA.
SINCE MR. KAY HAS EXHAUSTED ALL OF HIS ADMINISTRATIVE APPEALS,
HE'S NOW ASKING A FEDERAL DISTRICT COURT JUDGE TO
REVIEW THE ADMINISTRATIVE LAW JUDGE'S DECISION.
WE FILED A COMPLAINT AND NOTIFIED THE U.S.
ATTORNEY AND THE SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION.
>> DO YOU THINK YOU CAN WIN?
>> MR. KAY HAS A DEBILITATING BACK IMPAIRMENT.
OF COURSE WE'LL WIN.
>> THANK YOU.
>> SOCIAL SECURITY'S OFFICE OF THE GENERAL COUNSEL WORKS WITH
THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE IN REPRESENTING THE AGENCY
IN COURT.
AND WHILE MOST OF THIS WORK INVOLVES DISABILITY LITIGATION
FILED IN FEDERAL COURT SUCH AS MR. KAY'S CLAIM, THIS OFFICE
ALSO PROVIDES OTHER LEGAL SERVICES FOR THE SOCIAL SECURITY
ADMINISTRATION, SUCH AS LEGAL SERVICES RELATED TO CIVIL
RIGHTS, DISCLOSURE, ETHICS, FRAUD, GARNISHMENTS, BANKRUPTCY,
PERSONNEL MATTERS, AND TORT CLAIMS.
THE OFFICE OF THE GENERAL COUNSEL HAS THREE HEADQUARTERS
DIVISIONS AND TEN REGIONAL OFFICES WHICH ARE RESPONSIBLE
FOR LEGAL SERVICES ACROSS THE NATION.
>> WE SPOKE TO MR. LEO COE, THE ASSISTANT REGIONAL COUNSEL WHO
IS HANDLING MR. KAY'S CLAIM.
>> WHAT IS THE PROCESS TO DECIDE WHO HANDLES MR. KAY'S SUIT?
>> WELL, BECAUSE HE LIVES WITHIN THE JURISDICTION OF THE COURT
THAT'S ASSIGNED TO OUR REGION, OUR OFFICE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR
ANY LITIGATION THAT'S ASSOCIATED WITH HIS CLAIM FOR BENEFITS.
>> WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT WITH MR. KAY'S CLAIM?
AND HOW IS THIS PROCESS DIFFERENT FROM EVERYTHING
ELSE WE'VE SEEN BEFORE?
>> WELL, AT THIS POINT, THE FILE IS COMPLETE.
WE HAVE A DECISION BY THE ADMINISTRATIVE LAW JUDGE,
AND THE APPEALS COUNSEL HAS ORGANIZED THE FILE.
THEY CREATED A CERTIFIED TRANSCRIPT WHICH WAS SUBMITTED
TO THE COURT TOGETHER WITH THE ANSWER TO MR. KAY'S COMPLAINT.
OUR OFFICE WILL NOW DEFEND THE AGENCY'S DECISION TO
DENY BENEFITS.
THE COURT WILL BE LOOKING AT THE CLAIM TO SEE WHETHER SUBSTANTIAL
EVIDENCE SUPPORTED THE ADMINISTRATIVE LAW JUDGE'S
DECISION AND WHETHER THE CORRECT LAW WAS APPLIED.
>> MR. KAY'S ATTORNEY TOLD ME THAT THE U.S.
ATTORNEY'S OFFICE IS ALSO INVOLVED.
WHAT KIND OF WORKING RELATIONSHIP DOES YOUR
OFFICE HAVE WITH THE U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE?
>> WELL, I PREPARED AND FILED RESPONSIVE PLEADINGS ON BEHALF
OF THE U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, THIS PARTICULAR COURT JUDGE LIKES TO
HEAR ORAL ARGUMENTS, SO I WILL BE PRESENT AT THE ARGUMENT ON
BEHALF OF THE AGENCY AND THE U.S. ATTORNEY.
>> WE'RE OUTSIDE THE FEDERAL COURT BUILDING WHERE ORAL
ARGUMENTS ARE BEING HEARD ON MR. KAY'S CLAIM.
THE FEDERAL DISTRICT COURT JUDGE WHO IS HEARING THE CASE CANNOT
MAKE DETERMINATIONS OF FACT.
INSTEAD, HE MUST RELY ON A REVIEW OF THE RECORD TO ENSURE
THAT THE ADMINISTRATIVE LAW JUDGE BASED THEIR FINDINGS ON
SUBSTANTIAL EVIDENCE AS WELL AS WHETHER THERE WERE ANY
LEGAL ERRORS MADE IN THE CASE.
BOTH MR. KAY'S REPRESENTATIVE AND MR. COE WILL BE PRESENTING
ORAL ARGUMENTS IN THE CASE.
>> MS. PEREZ, I LEARNED THAT THE FEDERAL COURT JUDGE DECIDED THAT
THE SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION'S DECISION
WAS SUPPORTED BY SUBSTANTIAL EVIDENCE AND FOUND
FOR THE AGENCY.
WILL MR. KAY FILE AN APPEAL AGAIN?
>> I DOUBT IT, LISA.
BUT THAT WILL BE MR. KAY'S DECISION.
BECAUSE HE CONTINUES TO HAVE BACK PROBLEMS, EVEN AFTER THE
ADMINISTRATIVE LAW JUDGE'S DECISION, MY ADVICE TO HIM WOULD
BE TO FILE ANOTHER APPLICATION.
>> MR. COE, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE DECISION
THAT WAS MADE?
>> WELL, I'M SATISFIED.
THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS OF MR. KAY'S DISABILITY APPLICATION
FOR BENEFITS, AGENCY REPRESENTATIVES WERE
REALLY VERY DILIGENT IN MAKING SURE THAT THE
CORRECT DECISION WAS MADE.
THAT ALLOWED ME TO EASILY DEFEND THE CASE.
>> THANK YOU.
>> WE'VE ALL LEARNED AND WITNESSED FIRSTHAND HOW THE
SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION DEVELOPS AND REVIEWS CLAIMS ALL
THE WAY THROUGH THE AGENCY AND THE FEDERAL COURTS.
UNLESS MR. KAY DECIDES TO TAKE IT FURTHER,
THIS IS THE END OF THE LINE.
>> A VERY INTERESTING STORY.
MR. KAY'S CLAIM WAS DENIED EVERY STEP OF THE WAY.
DID THAT HAVE ANY EFFECT ON YOUR REPORTING?
>> WELL, THE FACT THAT THE CLAIM FOR DISABILITY WAS DENIED AT
EACH LEVEL ALLOWED US TO TAKE AN IN-DEPTH LOOK AT THE SOCIAL
SECURITY ADMINISTRATION'S DEFINITION OF DISABILITY AND THE
INCREDIBLE TEAMWORK BETWEEN THE DIFFERENT COMPONENTS TO ENSURE
THE INTEGRITY OF THIS IMPORTANT PROGRAM.
AS YOU CAN SEE, SOCIAL SECURITY GOES TO GREAT LENGTHS TO DEVELOP
A CLAIM AND GET THE EVIDENCE RIGHT.
IT PROVIDES A CLAIMANT SEVERAL LEVELS OF REVIEW, INCLUDING A
HEARING, TO PRESENT A CLAIM.
I REALLY CAME AWAY FROM THIS REPORT WITH A GOOD FEELING THAT
THE SOCIAL SECURITY EMPLOYEES CARE ABOUT THEIR WORK AND THE
PEOPLE THEY SERVE.
>> THAT IS GREAT.
BUT I HAVE A QUESTION.
IF MR. KAY WAS APPROVED FOR BENEFITS, WHAT WOULD HAVE
HAPPENED THEN?
>> GOOD QUESTION.
IF SOCIAL SECURITY ALLOWED HIS CLAIM AT AN EARLIER LEVEL, WE
MAY NEVER HAVE SEEN WHAT ROLE THE MANY COMPONENTS HAVE PLAYED
IN THIS PROCESS.
SOCIAL SECURITY WOULD HAVE ROUTED HIS CLAIM TO THE PAYMENT
CENTER, AND HE WOULD HAVE BEGUN TO RECEIVE HIS MONTHLY BENEFIT.
AS WE MENTIONED BEFORE, SOCIAL SECURITY CONDUCTS CONTINUING
DISABILITY REVIEWS TO SEE IF PEOPLE RECEIVING DISABILITY
BENEFITS ARE STILL DISABLED BECAUSE SOMETIMES CLAIMANTS'
MEDICAL CONDITIONS IMPROVE.
SOCIAL SECURITY WOULD HAVE PAID MR. KAY BENEFITS FOR SEVERAL
YEARS AND THEN CONDUCTED A CONTINUING DISABILITY REVIEW
TO REVIEW HIS HEALTH CONDITION, EARNINGS, AND OTHER INFORMATION.
ALSO, SOCIAL SECURITY HAS SOME GREAT PROGRAMS TO HELP
BENEFICIARIES RETURN TO WORK IF THEY'RE ABLE.
DESPITE DIFFICULT MEDICAL CHALLENGES, A SMALL PERCENTAGE
OF BENEFICIARIES ARE ABLE TO RETURN TO WORK SUCCESSFULLY
WITH THE RIGHT SUPPORTS AND EMPLOYMENT ACCOMMODATIONS.
>> DO YOU THINK MR. KAY WILL REAPPLY FOR DISABILITY BENEFITS?
>> WELL, DON, I'M GLAD YOU ASKED THAT.
THE WAREHOUSE MAY HAVE LOST A GOOD WORKER, BUT OUR NEWS
PROGRAM HAS GAINED A GREAT NEW PRODUCTION ASSISTANT.
>> AMAZING.
WE HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE STORY.
I'M DON STEELE.
>> AND I'M LISA GLASS.
>> AND YOU HAVE BEEN WATCHING FIRST LINE NEWS.
WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT TIME.
THANK YOU.
AND GOOD NIGHT.