Service Modernization-Operations

Transcription

1 Service Mdernizatin-Operatins SSA Operatins Overview If a member f the American public walks int ur ffices tday, he r she wuld have a very different experience frm the beginning f FY 11 when a hiring freeze was implemented in the face f budget cuts. We expect the stress n ur ffices and the American public t wrsen as we cntinue t lse staff and institutinal knwledge. Staffing Since the beginning f FY 11, Operatins has lst 6,908 emplyees. 5,482 f these emplyees served in Direct Service psitins. Over 20% f ur field ffices have experienced 20% r greater attritin f permanent emplyees. Offices cannt sustain this rate f attritin and stay viable. Thirty-three ffices are dwn t 5 r fewer emplyees, putting them at risk fr cnslidatin. Frty-ne field ffices have already been cnslidated. Overtime Field ffices, wrking with 2,164 fewer emplyees since FY 11, were allcated 184,011 fewer hurs, r 108 less WY, f vertime ver the same perid. Waiting times In FY 2013 ver 4 millin visitrs waited mre than an hur t receive service, almst 2 millin mre than FY Average wait time withut an appintment rse frm 18.7 minutes in FY11 t 26.6 minutes in FY13. Diminishing budgets and the resultant attritin caused us t begin clsing ur drs an hur early each day and at nn n Wednesdays. One effect f this change was a sharp increase in the wait fr a scheduled appintment. Only 7% waited mre than three weeks in FY 2011 nw ver 40% wait that lng. Call Centers Staffing cnstraints n FOs require us t redirect calls frm the field t the Natinal 800 Number Netwrk (N8NN). Over 1.2 millin calls are frwarded t the N8NN, cntributing t the 84 millin annual calls received.

2 We have 992 fewer Call Agents in FY 13 than we did at the beginning f FY 11. The N8NN entered FY 14 with 3,855 Call Agents and is seeing an attritin rate f 6%. We prject a reductin t abut 3,400 agents by the end f FY % f callers t ur 800 number nw receive a busy signal, up frm 3% in FY 11. It nly tk abut 3 minutes t get thrugh t the 800 number in FY 11, but nw it takes ver 11 minutes. Disability Determinatin Services Since the beginning f FY 10, the DDSs have lst 5,814 ttal staff. The Federal/State relatinship creates additinal limitatins. In sme cases, while SSA can ffer hiring pprtunities t the DDS, the State agency may nt be able t accmmdate these psitins. There may be State hiring limitatins, State hiring freezes, and strict psitin cunts the DDS/Parent Agency may nt be able t exceed. A healthy vlume f cases pending per examiner (PPE) ranges between 110 and 120. PPE exceeded 130 in FY 11 and has increased since. We currently average 144 PPE acrss all DDSs and the vlume exceeds 200 in sme ffices. This is issue is expected t get wrse as examiners are lst. Operatins Respnses t OMB Questins: 1. As the dcuments nte, SSA has cnslidated 92 field ffices, clsed 521 cntact statins and 7 Freign Service psts since FY10. Des SSA anticipate further clsings/cnslidatins r substantial changes t the service ftprint in FY15? Each year we perfrm Service Area Reviews n all f ur ffices and recmmend apprpriate changes as a result. 2. What is the current number f field ffices? The Real Prperty Innvatin Plan says 1,200 while the revised APP has 1,500 listed. Nt including Resident Statins, TSCs, r Card Centers, we have 641 Level 1 field ffices and 579 Level 2 field ffices, fr a ttal f 1,220 active field ffices. 4. The revised APP suggests that the average wait time is increasing n the number, but that the target busy rate will decline frm 16% t 5%. Please explain as these metrics appear t be mving in ppsite directins.

3 Newly installed technlgy, CARE2020, mre than dubles the number f callers that can be placed int a queue waiting fr an agent. This enables the Agent Busy Rate t decline, due t the larger pl f waiting callers, while the Average Speed f Answer will cntinue t increase because f staffing lsses and higher call vlumes assciated with redials. 7. What is the status (number deplyed, usage, and capabilities) f SSA Express kisks? The SSA Express kisk is in the prf-f-cncept planning and develpment stage. The prf-f-cncept pilt is planned fr the beginning f CY14 and will include five kisks t be placed in external partner lcatins. The kisk will allw the user t access eight eservice ptins and will include a videcnferencing supprt feature. 8. Where and when des SSA prpse t deply additinal SSA Express kisks? As mentined abve, the SSA Express kisk initiative is in the prf-f-cncept stage f planning and develpment. We will evaluate the efficacy f this initiative and expand SSA Express as resurces and business needs permit.

4 12. Please prvide usage metrics fr Self-Help PCs. Please see metrics belw. Initial Claims Internet Benefit Applicatin (iclaim) 36,161 Adult Disability Reprt (i3368-simplified) 7,709 Appintment Scheduler (iappintment) 29 Sub-Ttal: 43,899 Pst-Entitlement Medicare Prescriptin Drug Subsidy Applicatin (i1020) 309 Special Ntices Optin (isno) 45 Sub-Ttal: 354 myscialsecurity Activity Internet Benefits Verificatin (ibeve) 4,592 My Change f Address (MyCOA) 251 My Check Yur Benefits (MyCYB) 677 My Direct Depsit (MyDD) 166 Online Scial Security Statement (OSSS) 3,606 Sub-Ttal: 9,292 myscialsecurity Accunt Activity Registratin 13,211 Sub-Ttal: 13,231 Benefit Estimatrs Retirement Estimatr 1303 Sub-Ttal: 1303 Grand Ttal: 68, What's the implementatin/usage plan fr Self-Help PCS in FY14 and FY15? In FY14, we will begin pilting a new natinal SHPC image centrally develped and supprted by Headquarters Systems. The new image will create an enhanced envirnment by utilizing ur enterprise virtual desktp infrastructure. We plan t begin with five pilt sites, cnduct an assessment, and expand as resurces permit. 14. What are the best practices fr field ffices using Self-Help PCs? Is there a recmmended staff t PC rati? While business practices vary by regin, sme successful business practices are as fllws: Management understands the imprtance that SHPC has t the agency missin and encurages staff t prmte SHPC usage Offices display all SHPC psters and signage prminently in the waiting rm

5 Offices use a screener prcess and an SHPC attendant Emplyees shuld remain in SSA secure space. The use f dual mnitrs will eliminate the need fr SSA emplyees t enter the receptin area t assist custmers. The dual mnitr allws the emplyee t assist the custmer withut entering unsecure space Offices ffer multiple SHPCs, if pssible Ensure pen/pencil and paper are available fr the SHPC user t make ntes during the prcess Establish a back-up system s that ne SHPC attendant will cver fr anther during lunches and breaks t ensure SHPC cverage thrughut the day Identify wrklads fr the SHPC attendant when nt assisting custmers Establish a methd fr SHPC users t cntact the SHPC attendant when they need help and infrm them abut this prcess t ensure they have assistance when needed Review all existing ffice wrkflws t incrprate use f the SHPC whenever pssible. Establish designated actins that will always be referred t the SHPC Use the SHPC fr iclaims and pst-entitlement (PE) transactins, as well as lnger transactins Encurage anyne whse SSA business can be cnducted n the SHPC t use it Screen the Visitr Intake Prcess (VIP) bard fr visitrs wh did nt select the SHPC ptin but can cnduct their business nline Give estimated current wait times fr ne-n-ne service versus estimated time using the SHPC when marketing t visitrs wh did nt select the SHPC ptin in VIP The current staff-t-pc rati is ne attendant fr ne t fur SHPCs. 16. Please prvide a cmprehensive list f all peratins that can be prcessed using my Scial Security bth fr users wh are in and nt in benefit status. Currently, the fllwing peratins can be prcessed using a myscialsecurity accunt: A. If yu receive benefits r have Medicare, yu can: a. Get yur benefit verificatin letter; b. Check yur benefit and payment infrmatin and yur earnings recrd; c. Change yur address and phne number; and d. Start r change direct depsit f yur benefit payment. B. If yu d nt receive benefits, yu can view: a. Estimates f yur retirement, disability, and survivrs benefits; b. Yur earnings recrd; and c. The estimated Scial Security and Medicare taxes yu ve paid. 17. Please prvide current metrics by type f service fr my Scial Security. Please als include what percentage f each activity is dne nline currently. Belw is data fr FY2013, thrugh August Due t the gvernment shutdwn, we are still evaluating end-f-year percentages.

6 myscialsecurity FY2013 ( thrugh August 2013) Online Statement 15,359,141 Check Yur SS Benefits 10,524,555 Benefit Verificatin Letter 2,555,309 Direct Depsit 355,284 Change f Address 372, My Scial Security prvides a link t check yur earnings but suggests that individuals call r write if they find errrs. Culd yu include a link n hw t crrect earnings including dcumentatin requirements? This may save phne call vlume. The cmplexity f crrecting earnings ften requires direct interactin with an agency emplyee. The myscialsecurity prtal suggests an individual have their W-2 r tax return available, which is the starting pint fr any crrectin. Depending upn the situatin, additinal dcumentatin may be required, and the mst effective way fr bth the agency and the public is t cntact us directly. While we are cnsidering allwing custmers t submit crrectin requests nline, planning and implementatin is dependent n agency pririties and resurce availability. Depending n the nature f the prblem, examples f ther dcumentatin that may be required includes: Frms W-2 (Wage and Tax Statement) and W-2c (Statement f Crrected Incme and Tax Amunts) Emplyer-Prepared Wage Statement Frm SSA-7011-F4 (Statement f Emplyer) r any ther wage statement signed by the emplyer r custdian f the emplyer s recrds Internal Revenue Service (IRS) cpy f emplyee's tax return. Pay envelpes, vuchers, and similar unsigned emplyer wage statements The number hlder s cpy f Federal r State incme tax returns Recrd(s) f State unemplyment insurance agencies Statements f persns having knwledge f the number hlder's emplyment and/r wages 21. The APP strategic bjective 1.2d wuld increase sign-up by 15% a year. Hw many accunts des SSA currently have? And f these, what percentage f accunts are actually used t cnduct a transactin? Custmers created mre than 6.2 millin accunts in FY 2013, bringing the cumulative ttal t ver 8.7 millin as f Octber 25, Determining hw many f these

7 individuals cnducted specific transactins requires mre in depth analysis, as ur management infrmatin systems currently d nt track this data. 22. Hw des SSA decide pririties fr expansin f my Scial Security? High unit csts, # f transactins, methd f transactin (phne r field ffice)? Expansin f myscialsecurity will include the enhancement and expansin f existing eservices prvided thrugh myscialsecurity, as well as increasing the user base via new eservices. We apply the fllwing guiding principles when deciding pririties fr expansin: a. Priritize implementatin f eservice prjects based n criteria including: Vlume/ROI Actins that can be cmpleted with n human interventin Crdinatin with back-end legacy system prjects b. Cntinually wrk t imprve verall custmer experience n the Internet c. Attract new individuals t the Internet fr SSA services d. Once an individual has used ur eservices, keep them in the eservice channel e. Ensure the integrity f ur eservices and the security f custmer infrmatin 23. Why is the establishment f a Fraud Analysis team necessary? Has fraud in this area been a serius cncern? See APP 2.2a and b. While the incidence f fraud has been lw as cmpared t fraud rates in the private sectr, as stewards f the public s trust, we deem that even a single incident f myscialsecurity fraud is a serius cncern. Because f ur increased nline presence, we began benchmarking with the private sectr t ensure we cntinue t apply industry best practices. The fraud analysis team is a result f these discussins. The fraud analysis team mnitrs nline fraud and develps strategies fr preventing and mitigating nline fraud. The team is als respnsible fr perfrming nging manual and autmated analyses t identify fraud cases, and ensure that due prcess is fllwed t prevent impact n SSA custmers. These effrts have helped reduce the incidence f myscialsecurity fraud and mitigated custmer impact. 24. The dcuments nte that the Agency will use a qualified payrll entity such as the Wrk Number t help autmate batch wage reprting fr SSI. Since the Wrk Number data will sn be available thrugh the D Nt Pay Prtal at Treasury, des SSA prpse t use this data thrugh a separate cntract with the Wrk Number r at reduced cst thrugh Treasury? Is there any plan t expand use f the Wrk Number t DI wrk effrts? We investigated the pssibility f using the DO NOT PAY prtal t enhance wage reprting. After ur investigatin we determined they did nt have the capacity t

8 supprt the rutine vlume f transactins. Therefre, we d nt have any current plans t incrprate Wrk Number data via the Treasury prtal. We are explring expansin f The Wrk Number t identify wages n SSI claims in a timelier manner, but we d nt have a timeframe fr any future initiatives. 26. In the immigratin cntext in June, we asked several times fr the number f statements which were mailed in respnse t Senate requests and were tld nne. This matches the Majr Nn-persnnel cst discussin f the statement. Yet the APP says that during the third quarter f 2013, we began making mailed statements available t thse nt able t successfully register nline fr my Scial Security. Please clarify. While we can t specifically address the issue raised in the first questin, fr the remainder f the questin 26, effective 7/05/2013, SSA resumed the n request Scial Security Statement prcess where Frm SSA-7004 (Request fr Scial Security Statement) is made available t individuals wh either fail the authenticatin prcess in MyScialSecurity, r chse t request it frm the Cntact Us link within the MyScialSecurity prtal. Additinal infrmatin can be fund in the fllwing EM ( The Frm SSA-7004 is available n the MyScialSecurity cntact us page ( and if the individual needs a paper Scial Security Statement mailed, they wuld fllw the Frm SSA-7004 prcess and mail in a request t Wilkes Barre Data Operatin Center (WBDOC). 29. What is the current field ffice visit vlume f frmerly incarcerated peple appearing t have benefits reinstated? We estimate abut 53,000 peple visited ur ffices in FY13 t have their benefits reinstated after being incarcerated. We gleaned this infrmatin frm ur Visitr Intake Prcess (VIP), which is used t manage visitr traffic in ur field ffices. Input t VIP is manual, s the management infrmatin n this tpic is nt perfect.