Social Security Administration: Leadership Challenges Accompany
Transition to an Independent Agency (Letter Report, 02/15/95,
GAO/HEHS-95-59).

In 1994 Congress passed legislation making the Social Security
Administration (SSA) an independent agency.  As part of the transition,
GAO was required to evaluate the interagency agreement for transferring
personnel and resources from the Department of Health and Human Services
(HHS) to SSA.  GAO concludes that the two agencies have developed an
acceptable methodology for identifying the functions; personnel; and
other resources, such as furniture and computer equipment, to be
transferred to an independent SSA.  They have also made good progress
toward completing the initiatives necessary for SSA to be a fully
functional independent agency by March 31, 1995.  However, SSA will
continue to face serious policy and management challenges, including the
long-range shortfall in funds to pay future Social Security benefits.
Also, questions have been raised by GAO and others about the future
growth of the Disability Insurance program and recent increases in
Supplemental Security Income benefits.

--------------------------- Indexing Terms -----------------------------

 REPORTNUM:  HEHS-95-59
     TITLE:  Social Security Administration: Leadership Challenges 
             Accompany Transition to an Independent Agency
      DATE:  02/15/95
   SUBJECT:  Compensation claims
             Decentralization
             Disability benefits
             Federal agency reorganization
             Federal social security programs
             Social security benefits
             Disability insurance
             Supplemental security income
             Interagency relations
             Personnel management
IDENTIFIER:  Old Age Survivors and Disability Insurance Program
             OASDI
             Supplemental Security Income Program
             Social Security Program
             Social Security Trust Fund
             Social Security Disability Insurance Trust Fund
             
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Cover
================================================================ COVER


Report to Congressional Commitees

February 1995

SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION -
LEADERSHIP CHALLENGES ACCOMPANY
TRANSITION TO AN INDEPENDENT
AGENCY

GAO/HEHS-95-59

SSA's Transition to Independence


Abbreviations
=============================================================== ABBREV

  DI - Disability Insurance
  FSA - Federal Security Agency
  FTE - full-time equivalent
  HEW - Department of Health, Education and Welfare
  HHS - Department of Health and Human Services
  OASI - Old-Age and Survivors Insurance
  OMB - Office of Management and Budget
  SSA - Social Security Administration
  SSI - Supplemental Security Income

Letter
=============================================================== LETTER


B-258832

February 15, 1995

The Honorable Bob Packwood
Chairman
The Honorable Daniel Patrick Moynihan
Ranking Minority Member
Committee on Finance
United States Senate

The Honorable Bill Archer
Chairman
The Honorable Sam Gibbons
Ranking Minority Member
Committee on Ways and Means
House of Representatives

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), with the largest
budget in the federal government and a workforce of approximately
127,000 staff, directs or operates more than 200 health and welfare
programs.  As a division within HHS, the Social Security
Administration (SSA) provides Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI)
and Disability Insurance (DI) benefits and Supplemental Security
Income (SSI) benefits to about 47 million recipients. 

As a result of an aging population and an increase in disability
claims, SSA's workload has increased dramatically in recent years. 
Workload increases combined with declines in the quality of service
to the public have concerned the Congress.  In 1994, the Congress
enacted the Social Security Independence and Program Improvements Act
of 1994,\1 which removes SSA from HHS as of March 31, 1995.  It was
expected that, with independence, SSA would have improved program
management, continuity of leadership, and an organization more
accountable to the public and more responsive to the Congress. 

In conjunction with SSA's transition from HHS to an independent
agency on March 31, 1995, section 105(c) of the act requires us to
evaluate the interagency agreement for transferring personnel and
resources from HHS to SSA.  On the basis of the Conference Report, we
were expected to monitor and report on the transition's progress. 
This report evaluates the specific transition plans and activities of
SSA and HHS and identifies some of the major program and policy
challenges SSA will face as an independent agency. 

To develop our information, we closely monitored the general
activities of the transition and evaluated SSA's and HHS' specific
plans and methodology for the transfer of HHS full-time equivalent
(FTE)\2 personnel, property, and other resources.  We met regularly
with the directors of the respective SSA and HHS transition teams; we
also met with those staff responsible for managing specific
transition activities and representatives of the Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) and General Services Administration on budgeting and
computer-related issues.  In addition, we conducted a panel
discussion on issues surrounding SSA's transition to an independent
agency with a number of present and former SSA officials,
representatives from national aging organizations, and a member of
the academic community on November 15, 1994.  As a basis for our
discussion of the major issues facing an independent SSA, we relied
on our previous work conducted in these areas over a number of years
(see Related GAO Products).  We did our work between September 1994
and January 1995 in accordance with generally accepted government
auditing standards. 


--------------------
\1 P.L.  103-296, Aug.  15, 1994. 

\2 The total number of hours worked for all workers is used to derive
the full-time equivalent.  To do this, it is assumed that all workers
work 2,000 hours per year (40 hours per week, 50 weeks per year). 
Because the workforce includes those who work less than full time,
the full-time equivalent will be lower than the actual number of
workers. 


   RESULTS IN BRIEF
------------------------------------------------------------ Letter :1

Our work suggests that SSA and HHS have progressed well toward
completing the tasks necessary for SSA to become a fully functional
independent agency.  Although SSA's approximately 65,000 FTE
employees who operate and manage agency programs are unaffected by
the transition, several support functions that HHS provides to SSA,
such as personnel administration, legal support, and audit and
investigative support, will need to be transferred along with the
equivalent of approximately 1,143 FTE positions.  Other HHS
resources, such as computer equipment, furniture, and other property,
have also been identified and are expected to be transferred to SSA. 
Although most of SSA's administrative and operational staff will
remain in its Baltimore, Maryland, headquarters, SSA plans to
establish a Washington, D.C., office of 150 to 200 employees,
including the Commissioner of SSA and other senior agency officials. 
The act creates a Social Security Advisory Board, which will advise
the Commissioner and make recommendations to the Congress and the
President on SSA program policy.  SSA's current plans are for the
board to operate and meet in both Baltimore and Washington, D.C. 

While the transition initiatives are proceeding satisfactorily, an
independent SSA will continue to face serious policy and management
challenges.  One of these is the long-range shortfall in funds to pay
future Social Security benefits.  Also, SSA has embarked on a major
effort to improve its method for processing disability claims. 
Further, questions have been raised by us and others about the future
growth of the DI program and the recent increase in SSI caseloads. 
Although these issues are not new to SSA, independence heightens the
importance of SSA's taking a strong leadership role in addressing
these and other policy and management challenges. 


   BACKGROUND
------------------------------------------------------------ Letter :2

SSA is the largest operating division within HHS.  As such, it
accounts for approximately 65,000 FTE employees or about 51 percent
of HHS' FTE positions.  SSA's fiscal year 1995 budget of about $371
billion accounts for over one-half of HHS' total budget for that
year. 

SSA administers three major federal programs and assists other
federal and state agencies in administering a variety of other income
security programs for individuals and families.  The programs
administered by SSA are the OASI program and the DI program--two
social insurance programs authorized under Title II of the Social
Security Act.  SSA also administers the SSI program, a welfare
program authorized under Title XVI, to provide benefits to the needy
aged, blind, and disabled.  SSA serves the public through a network
that includes 1,300 field offices and a national toll-free telephone
number. 

Under the Title II programs, over $300 billion in benefits were paid
in 1993 to over 40 million eligible beneficiaries.  About 95 percent
of all jobs in the United States are covered by these insurance
programs.  SSA also performs a number of administrative functions to
pay Social Security benefits.  For example, it maintains earnings
records for over 140 million U.S.  workers, which are used to
determine the dollar amount of their OASI and DI benefits.  To do
this, SSA collects annual wage reports from over 6 million employers. 
Since 1990, it has issued new Social Security numbers to an average
of over 7 million people annually. 

Under Title XVI, SSA provides almost $22 billion in SSI benefits
annually to about 6 million recipients.  This program was established
to provide cash assistance to low-income individuals who are age 65
or older or are blind or disabled.  In the mid-1970s, SSI replaced
the categorical programs for the needy aged, blind, and disabled that
were administered by the states. 


      HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE ON
      SSA
---------------------------------------------------------- Letter :2.1

SSA began as an independent agency with a mission of providing
retirement benefits to the elderly.  A three-member, independent
Social Security Board was established in 1935 to administer the
Social Security program. 

The Chairman of the Board reported directly to the President until
July 1939, when the Board was placed under the newly established
Federal Security Agency (FSA).  At that time, the Social Security
program was expanded to include Survivors Insurance, which paid
monthly benefits to survivors of insured workers.  In 1946, the
Social Security Board was abolished, and its functions were
transferred to the newly established Social Security Administration,
still within FSA.  The FSA administrator established the position of
Commissioner to head SSA. 

In 1953, the FSA was abolished and its functions were transferred to
the Department of Health, Education and Welfare (HEW).  Moreover, the
position of SSA Commissioner was designated as a presidential
appointee requiring Senate confirmation.  In 1956, the Social
Security program was expanded to include the DI program to provide
benefits to covered workers who became unable to work because of
disability. 

In 1965, amendments to the Social Security Act increased SSA's scope
and complexity by establishing the health insurance program known as
Medicare.  The purpose of Medicare was to help the qualified elderly
and disabled pay their medical expenses.  SSA administered the
Medicare program for about 12 years before Medicare was transferred
to a new division within HEW, the Health Care Financing
Administration. 

Further amendments to the Social Security Act created the SSI
program, effective in 1974.  This program was designed to replace
welfare programs for the aged, blind, and disabled administered by
the states.  The SSI program added substantially to SSA's
responsibilities.  The agency then had to deal directly with SSI
clients, which entailed determining recipients' eligibility based on
income and assets.  SSA has remained a part of HHS (formerly HEW)
since 1953. 


      MOVEMENT TOWARD SSA
      INDEPENDENCE
---------------------------------------------------------- Letter :2.2

Since 1984, congressional committees responsible for overseeing SSA's
activities have considered initiatives to make SSA an independent
agency.  While the reasons for independence have varied over the
years, legislation seeking independence from HHS has been introduced
in several sessions of the Congress. 

Concerns expressed in congressional hearings and reports of the past
decade have focused on a variety of issues, including the need for
(1) improved management and continuity of leadership at SSA; (2)
greater public confidence about the long-term viability of Social
Security benefits; and (3) removal of the program's policies and
budgets from the influence of HHS, OMB, and the administration. 
Statements by committee chairmen have shown a desire to make SSA more
accountable to the public for its actions and more responsive to the
Congress' attempts to address SSA's management and policy concerns. 


   TRANSITION ACTIVITIES APPEAR
   REASONABLE AND EQUITABLE
------------------------------------------------------------ Letter :3

The act requires the Secretary of HHS and the Commissioner of SSA to
develop a written interagency transfer agreement, effective March 31,
1995, which specifies the personnel and other resources to be
transferred to an independent SSA.  Our review of the agreement and
the supporting documentation shows that SSA and HHS have developed a
reasonable methodology for, and progressed well toward implementing
the transition.  Specifically, we found that HHS and SSA have
progressed well in (1) identifying and transferring personnel and
other resources; (2) effecting organizational changes prompted by the
transition; and (3) addressing changes to SSA's budget process, as
called for in the act. 


      PERSONNEL AND RESOURCE
      TRANSFERS ARE UNDER WAY
---------------------------------------------------------- Letter :3.1

The interagency agreement submitted by HHS and SSA to the Senate
Committee on Finance and House Committee on Ways and Means on
December 27, 1994, notes that all major transition tasks have been
completed or are under way and that personnel and resource transfers
will be completed on March 31, 1995.  Elements of the agreement
relating to transferring personnel, resources, and property appear to
meet OMB guidelines for such transfers. 

Under the interagency agreement, the approximately 65,000 FTE
employees currently under SSA will remain with the agency.  In
addition, about 1,143 HHS FTE personnel who provide support services
to SSA are expected to be transferred.  Of these, 478 will provide
personnel administration services for SSA, 289 will provide legal
support, and 263 will perform audit and investigative activities. 
The remaining 113 FTEs will provide other administrative support
services for the agency. 

SSA expects to reimburse HHS for providing payroll and certain other
support services to SSA on an interim basis.  Similarly, HHS will
reimburse SSA for providing certain services to Medicare recipients
through its local offices and telephone service centers. 

In developing the agreement, HHS surveyed its division heads to
identify the functions and FTEs currently supporting SSA.  At the
same time, SSA developed its own estimate of the number of HHS
personnel performing work for it.  To supplement these data, SSA also
relied on its managers' assessments of the number of HHS FTEs
currently supporting the agency.  HHS and SSA then engaged in
extensive negotiations to agree on the final number of FTEs to be
transferred. 

Virtually all individuals have been identified, and HHS expects to
issue final staff transfer notices by February 21, 1995.  Personnel
have been selected primarily on the basis of the percentage of their
work spent on SSA activities.  However, all employees had an
opportunity to appeal the transfer actions and some volunteers were
sought to obtain the proper skill levels. 

HHS and SSA have also agreed on nonpersonnel resources to be
transferred, such as funds, computer equipment, and furniture.  These
decisions are contingent on the numbers and specific personnel
transferring to SSA.  HHS and SSA are required to prepare for OMB a
written itemization of resources to be transferred.  OMB officials
told us that no problems have arisen and it expects to provide the
certification necessary to complete resource transfers on March 31,
1995. 


      TRANSITION REQUIRES
      ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGES
---------------------------------------------------------- Letter :3.2

SSA will make several organizational changes to be a fully functional
independent agency.  (See app.  I for the SSA organization charts for
before and after the transition.) We believe that SSA has reasonably
planned for these changes.  Our assessment of the transition
activities, combined with the review of the SSA and HHS interagency
agreement, indicates that the organizational changes should be
completed on March 31, 1995. 

SSA plans to establish its own Office of the General Counsel and an
Office of Inspector General.  SSA's Office of the General Counsel
will provide the necessary legal advice and litigation services for
the programs administered by SSA.  An acting General Counsel will be
designated to head the office until a permanent appointment is made. 
The SSA Office of Inspector General will conduct audits and
investigations of the agency's programs and operations.  The
Inspector General will report directly to the Commissioner to ensure
objectivity and independence from internal agency pressures.  The HHS
Inspector General has agreed to act as SSA's Inspector General until
a permanent Inspector General has been confirmed. 

SSA expects that additional organizational changes will occur in
conjunction with the transition.  For example, SSA plans to merge the
functions of its Offices of Programs and Policy and External Affairs. 
The new Office of Programs, Policy, Evaluation and Communications
will be responsible for research, policy analysis, and program
evaluation.  SSA's Office of Legislation and Congressional Affairs
will also be repositioned to report directly to the Commissioner. 
This office will facilitate a working relationship between SSA and
the executive and legislative branches. 

SSA plans to establish a Washington, D.C., office to facilitate a
closer working relationship with the Congress and the executive
branch.  Staffing in the Washington office is estimated at 150 to 200
permanent employees, including the Commissioner, Principal Deputy
Commissioner, legislative liaison staff, Inspector General, the
General Counsel, and research and statistics personnel.  The agency
has defined needed space requirements and acquired temporary office
space.  It should obtain permanent space by early 1996. 

SSA also plans to decentralize and transfer more management authority
from its headquarters to its regional offices.  Following the
transition, Regional Commissioners will have direct authority over
public affairs and personnel administration in their respective
regions.  These functions are currently managed by SSA's headquarters
or by HHS.  SSA has also indicated that, where possible, some of the
approximately 1,143 FTEs identified for transfer may be shifted to
local offices and telephone service centers to strengthen service. 

Finally, SSA has confirmed that the newly established Social Security
Advisory Board will spend a substantial amount of time in Washington,
D.C., and members will maintain offices in both the Baltimore and
Washington, D.C., locations.  The seven-member board will advise the
Commissioner, the President, and the Congress on SSA program
policies.  SSA officials told us that the Congress has appointed four
members.  However, the President has not yet appointed the three
remaining members as required by the act. 


      NEW BUDGET PROVISION
---------------------------------------------------------- Letter :3.3

The act revises the process for submitting SSA's annual budget.  The
act states, "the Commissioner shall prepare an annual budget for the
Administration which shall be submitted by the President to the
Congress without revision, together with the President's annual
budget for the Administration."

Traditionally, agencies, including SSA, receive budget guidance from
OMB beginning in April of each year and spend about 5 months
preparing a budget proposal.  This proposal is submitted in September
to OMB, where it is reviewed for several months.  OMB then requires
agencies to revise their budget proposals by incorporating OMB
decisions and changes.  Once approved by OMB, agency budgets are
transmitted to the Congress as part of the President's budget for
executive agencies.  The act does not restrict OMB from continuing to
exercise its traditional budgetary oversight role, and our work has
shown that both OMB and SSA officials do not envision any substantive
change in SSA's budget process. 

Presumably, the new budget provision is intended to illuminate
differences between the budget SSA proposes and the President's
budget for the agency.  However, the process allows for OMB's April
guidance to influence SSA's September budget proposal.  In its
comments on this report, SSA agreed that OMB's influence would
continue to be a factor in the preparation of its September budget. 


   AN INDEPENDENT SSA FACES
   SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES
------------------------------------------------------------ Letter :4

While SSA has progressed well toward completing the transition, the
agency will continue to face significant challenges as an independent
agency.  Some of these include the long-range solvency of the Social
Security trust funds, growing disability caseloads, and issues
surrounding the increase in SSI caseloads.  We have identified and
documented these challenges in numerous reports, testimonies, and
management reviews of SSA over the last several years. 

With the passage of legislation creating an independent SSA, it was
expected that SSA would take a more active leadership role in
addressing its major program challenges.  Our work has also
demonstrated the need for SSA to address program policy issues and to
more aggressively manage its programs.  This will be crucial for SSA
as it assumes the functions currently provided by HHS. 


      TRUST FUNDS SOLVENCY
      CONCERNS REMAIN
---------------------------------------------------------- Letter :4.1

SSA's independence will heighten the need for it to work with the
Congress in developing options for ensuring that revenues are
adequate to make future Social Security benefit payments.  As noted
in our previous reports, this issue has troubled the agency for many
years. 

The financial operations of SSA's insurance programs are supported by
trust funds, which are credited with revenues derived from (1)
payroll taxes on earned income and on self-employment earnings up to
specified limits and (2) interest income from trust fund investments. 
Additional financing is provided from general revenues resulting from
the taxation of Social Security benefits. 

To address financing issues, the Social Security Amendments of 1977
and 1983 moved the trust funds from a pay-as-you-go financing basis
toward the accumulation of substantial temporary reserves.  However,
as we reported in 1989 and 1994,\3 economic and demographic factors
have slowed the growth of the trust fund reserves and brought the
projected point of insolvency for both the OASI and DI trust funds
closer than originally expected.  SSA's Office of the Actuary
confirmed that the OASI trust fund currently has reserves sufficient
to pay annual benefits until the year 2030.  The DI trust fund will
have funds sufficient to pay annual benefits until the year 2015. 


--------------------
\3 Social Security:  The Trust Fund Reserve Accumulation, the
Economy, and the Federal Budget (GAO/HRD-89-44, Jan.  19, 1989);
Social Security:  Trust Funds Can Be More Accurately Funded
(GAO/HEHS-94-48, Sept.  2, 1994). 


      DISABILITY CASELOADS AND
      BACKLOGS AFFECT AGENCY
      PERFORMANCE
---------------------------------------------------------- Letter :4.2

In recent years, we have reported that SSA's DI program has
experienced significant caseload increases, and backlogs have
remained at unprecedented levels.  Moreover, changes in the
characteristics of new beneficiaries have accompanied this growth. 
The new beneficiaries' average age is generally decreasing and is now
below 50.  Also, mental impairment awards to younger workers
increased by about 500 percent between 1982 and 1992, helping to
lower the average age.  These situations could mean that once on the
rolls, these beneficiaries will receive benefits for a longer period
of time than other beneficiaries.  In addition, an increasing
percentage of new beneficiaries receives very low benefits, which
indicates that these beneficiaries had limited work histories and are
unlikely to return to work. 

Program rolls have grown and changed for several reasons.  Higher
unemployment probably contributes to increasing applications, and
policy changes have contributed to changes in the numbers and types
of beneficiaries.  However, SSA lacks adequate data on how many
people in the population suffer from disabilities that might qualify
them for benefits.  As a result, SSA has limited ability to predict
future growth and change in the rolls. 

SSA has undertaken initiatives to improve its disability application
process to more efficiently handle caseloads and reduce backlogs. 
Implementing these initiatives will significantly challenge SSA
because it requires fundamental changes in the way the agency does
its work.  Further, without additional information, neither SSA nor
the Congress can be sure whether the current growth will continue. 
SSA faces the challenge of determining what actions are needed to
better manage the program and whether some fundamentals of the
program should be reexamined. 


      SSI BENEFITS AND CASELOADS
      HAVE INCREASED RAPIDLY
---------------------------------------------------------- Letter :4.3

As we reported in previous work,\4 SSI benefit payments and caseloads
have increased significantly over the past several years.  From 1986
to 1994, SSI benefit payments for the aged, blind, and disabled
increased by $13.5 billion, doubling in 7 years.  Benefits for the
disabled accounted for almost 100 percent of this increase.  Three
groups--disabled children, mentally disabled adults, and legal
immigrants--significantly outpaced the growth of all other SSI
recipients.  As an independent agency, SSA faces the challenge of
addressing congressional and public concerns about SSI program
growth. 


--------------------
\4 Social Security:  Disability Benefits for Drug Addicts and
Alcoholics Are Out of Control (GAO/T-HEHS-94-101, Feb.  10, 1994);
Social Security:  Major Changes Needed for Disability Benefits for
Addicts (GAO/HEHS-94-128, May 13, 1994); Social Security:  Rapid Rise
in Children on SSI Disability Rolls Follows New Regulations
(GAO/HEHS-94-225, Sept.  9, 1994); Supplemental Security Income: 
Recent Growth in the Rolls Raises Fundamental Program Concerns
(GAO/T-HEHS-95-67, Jan.  27, 1995). 


   CONCLUSIONS
------------------------------------------------------------ Letter :5

HHS and SSA have developed an acceptable methodology for identifying
the functions, personnel, and other resources to be transferred to
the independent agency.  They have also progressed well toward
completing the initiatives necessary for SSA to be a fully functional
independent agency on the effective date.  However, independence
alone will not resolve the problems identified in previous GAO
reviews, and SSA will continue to face significant challenges beyond
March 31, 1995.  The elevation of SSA to an independent agency will
create opportunities for the agency to take a leadership role in
addressing some of the broader program policy issues and to reexamine
its processes to determine how it can improve its effectiveness. 

We obtained official oral comments on this report from senior
officials from SSA and HHS.  These officials generally agreed with
our findings and conclusions.  They did offer some technical
suggestions that we have incorporated where appropriate in the
report. 

We are sending copies of this report to the Secretary of HHS, the
Commissioner of SSA, and other interested parties.  Copies will also
be made available to others upon request. 

If you or your staffs have any questions concerning this report,
please call me on (202) 512-7215.  Other major contributors are
listed in appendix II. 

Jane L.  Ross
Director, Income Security Issues


SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION
CURRENT AND PROPOSED
ORGANIZATIONAL CHARTS
=========================================================== Appendix I

   Figure I.1:  Current
   Organization

   (See figure in printed
   edition.)

   Figure I.2:  Draft of Proposed
   Organization

   (See figure in printed
   edition.)

\a New organization resulting from the merger of two Deputy
Commissioner offices.  Suboffice structure will be more defined at a
later date. 


GAO CONTACTS AND STAFF
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
========================================================== Appendix II

GAO CONTACTS

Roger Thomas, Project Manager, (202) 512-7232
Roland Miller III, Adviser, (410) 965-8925

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

In addition to those named above, the following individuals made
important contributions to this report:  Leslie Aronovitz, Associate
Director, Income Security Issues; Daniel Bertoni, Senior Evaluator;
Mary Reich, Staff Attorney; Valerie Rogers, Evaluator; and Jacquelyn
Stewart, Senior Evaluator. 


RELATED GAO PRODUCTS
=========================================================== Appendix 0

Social Security:  Rapid Rise in Children on SSI Disability Rolls
Follows New Regulations (GAO/HEHS-94-225, Sept.  9, 1994). 

Social Security:  Trust Funds Can Be More Accurately Funded
(GAO/HEHS-94-48, Sept.  2, 1994). 

Social Security:  New Continuing Disability Review Process Could Be
Enhanced (GAO/HEHS-94-118, June 27, 1994). 

Social Security:  Major Changes Needed for Disability Benefits for
Addicts (GAO/HEHS-94-128, May 13, 1994). 

Social Security:  Disability Rolls Keep Growing, While Explanations
Remain Elusive (GAO/HEHS-94-34, Feb.  8, 1994). 

Social Security:  Increasing Number of Disability Claims and
Deteriorating Service (GAO/HRD-94-11, Nov.  10, 1993). 

Social Security:  Sustained Effort Needed to Improve Management and
Prepare for the Future (GAO/HRD-94-22, Oct.  27, 1993). 

Social Security:  Telephone Busy Signal Rates at Local SSA Field
Offices (GAO/HRD-93-49, Mar.  4, 1993). 

Social Security:  Reporting and Processing of Death Information
Should Be Improved (GAO/HRD-92-88, Sept.  4, 1992). 

Debt Management:  More Aggressive Actions Needed to Reduce Billions
in Overpayments (GAO/HRD-91-46, July 9, 1991). 

Social Security Downsizing:  Significant Savings But Some Service
Quality and Operational Problems (GAO/HRD-91-63, Mar.  19, 1991). 

Social Security:  Status and Evaluation of Agency Management
Improvement Initiatives (GAO/HRD-89-42, July 24, 1989). 

Social Security:  Staff Reductions and Service Quality
(GAO/HRD-89-106BR, June 16, 1989). 

Social Security Administration:  Stable Leadership and Better
Management Needed to Improve Effectiveness (GAO/HRD-87-39, Mar.  18,
1987). 
