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NEW SOCIAL SECURITY COMMISSIONER: NEW HOPE

On January 15, 2024 Martin J. O'Malley was sworn in as the new Commissioner of Social Security. Already, Mr. O'Malley has taken action that indicates understanding of the many problems facing Social Security. He brings fresh vision and hope to this troubled federal agency that has been dealing with increasingly longer wait times, poor customer service and severe work backlogs.

Mr. O'Malley has pledged to secure sufficient funding and staffing so that Social Security can do its job. Shortly after being sworn in, he promised that he would "make the train run on time."

The new commissioner is the first ever to have a social media presence. He seems to have rolled up his sleeves and become personally involved in making Social Security work for all of us.

Mr. O'Malley is former governor of Maryland and prior to that he served two terms as mayor of Baltimore. He has long advocated measuring outputs of government on a real time basis--something new to Social Security to be sure!

Here is what we hope to see from Social Security in the future:  

  • decreased waiting time for disability decisions
  • shorter hold times to speak to Social Security by phone
  • a quicker appeals process
  • better cooperation with attorneys and other  advocates
  • better Social Security funding and staffing to meet these goals

 

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