Social Security Opens National Hearing Center in St.
Louis to Reduce Disability Backlog
Center will hear disability cases for Cleveland and
Minneapolis two of the most backlogged hearing
offices in the nation
Aug.
2, 2010 - Three new Social Security Administration offices
have opened in St Louis, Missouri, including the agencys fifth National
Hearing Center (NHC). It becomes the largest hearing center in the
nation. It is co-located with two other new facilities - the National
Case Assistance Center (NCAC) and the Midwest Training Center. These
operations also add 200 new federal jobs in St. Louis.
The St. Louis NHC will help us reduce the backlog
of disability cases in those areas of the country where citizens with
disabilities are currently waiting far too long for a hearing decision,
said Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security.
He said the project is funded by the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and was completed in just ten
months - the fastest the General Services Administration has ever
delivered a project of this size, quality, and type.
The St. Louis NHC will be staffed by 100 people --
18 Administrative Law Judges (ALJs) and 82 support staff. The NHC uses
state-of-the-art electronic video technology to hold disability hearings
remotely throughout the country to reduce backlogs.
St. Louis initially will hear disability cases for
Cleveland, Ohio and Minneapolis, Minnesota cities with two of the most
backlogged hearing offices in the nation. Social Security has
additional NHCs in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Baltimore, Maryland, Falls
Church, Virginia, and Chicago, Illinois.
The NCAC and Midwest Training Center will employ
102 people. The NCAC will provide decision-writing assistance to
backlogged hearing offices throughout the U.S. The Midwest Training
Center will enable the agency to train Midwest and western employees
closer to home saving taxpayers money by reducing the travel costs
associated with employee training.
The new Social Security facilities in St. Louis
are prime examples of Recovery Act dollars at work, said Commissioner
Astrue. I applaud the General Services Administration and the Social
Security staff who worked tirelessly to open these new facilities in
record time. The result will be better service for disabled Americans
and increased job opportunities for residents of the St. Louis area.
Social Securitys administrative appeals operation,
under the Office of Disability Adjudication and Review, is the largest
administrative judicial system in the world. ALJs conduct hearings and
will issue approximately three-quarters of a million decisions this
year. For additional information about Social Securitys hearings and
appeals process, go to
www.socialsecurity.gov/appeals.
Keep up with the latest news for senior citizens, baby
boomers
Aug.
2, 2010 - Three new Social Security Administration offices
have opened in St Louis, Missouri, including the agencys fifth National
Hearing Center (NHC). It becomes the largest hearing center in the
nation. It is co-located with two other new facilities - the National
Case Assistance Center (NCAC) and the Midwest Training Center. These
operations also add 200 new federal jobs in St. Louis.