The Social Safety Administration’s rollout of latest programs for scheduling appointments and managing its caseload nationwide is on maintain for now.
For months, SSA has been planning to launch two main programs, the Nationwide Appointment Scheduling Calendar (NASC) and the Nationwide Workload Administration (NWLM) system, to distribute appointment scheduling and claims processing throughout its workforce nationwide.
However in a March 31 electronic mail obtained by Federal Information Community, SSA advised workers that the April 13 rollout of those programs “has been paused until further notice.”
That is at the very least the second time these programs have been postponed. SSA beforehand advised workers that the NASC and NWLM would go dwell on March 7.
An SSA spokesperson mentioned in a press release, in response to an inquiry despatched on Wednesday, that the company will nonetheless roll out these programs later this yr, and that “customers will not notice any changes aside from expanded appointment availability.”
“This is one of the digital-first changes we are implementing that will empower field office staff to focus on what they do best, resolving customers’ needs in-person with care, accuracy, and efficiency, while directing more complex cases and time-intensive tasks to specialized teams in a centralized environment,” the spokesperson mentioned.
SSA workers will finally use the NASC to schedule all preliminary claims appointments, and also will permit the general public to self-schedule preliminary claims appointments.
The Nationwide Workload Administration system will function the company’s central workload administration system. In keeping with a memo from final December, the system will distribute work to workers nationwide primarily based on their “skillset, knowledge, and availability.” SSA workers say they’re used to processing claims submitted regionally, however will quickly sort out a nationwide stock of circumstances.
An SSA worker beforehand advised Federal Information Community that “someone who applies in California could be speaking to an SSA rep in Maine.”
A second SSA worker mentioned these programs are supposed to assist “smooth over” staffing shortages. The company misplaced about 7,000 workers by way of voluntary incentives final yr. It additionally relocated a lot of its workers from its headquarters and regional workplaces to discipline workplaces.
Workers mentioned they’re cautious that these programs may introduce extra complexity to their workloads — in addition to extra room for error. State legal guidelines introduce one other layer of complexity to those circumstances. Some states, for instance, have a better earnings restrict for SSA packages like Supplemental Safety Earnings.
SSA workers exterior Alaska, for instance, aren’t conversant in methods to deal with annual funds grownup residents obtain from the state authorities primarily based on oil income. These funds from the Everlasting Fund Dividend depend as earnings to SSA packages like Social Safety Earnings, and will doubtlessly scale back advantages.
Many states supply a complement to SSI advantages to assist cowl dwelling prices for low-income seniors, in addition to blind or disabled people. These complement quantities and eligibility differ state-by-state.
Some states let SSA handle these dietary supplements, leading to one mixed verify, whereas different states course of their SSI dietary supplements as a separate cost. Different states don’t supply these SSI dietary supplements.
“We don’t have answers on how we are supposed to handle this,” the second SSA worker mentioned.
In a separate memo, the company directed discipline workplaces to solely schedule preliminary claims over the telephone, and to limit in-person visits. An SSA spokesperson mentioned in January that this memo had been rescinded.
The now-rescinded memo, dated Dec. 31, directed discipline workplace workers to “convert all in-office appointments” scheduled on or after Jan. 6 to phone appointments, and to “zero out all in-office availability” for appointments scheduled on or after March 9.
SSA Commissioner Frank Bisignano advised workers in a Jan. 12 all-hands assembly that “exactly zero field offices closed” final yr, and that “we’re going to always have field offices.”
“If people want to come in and see us, we’ll be there. If people want to call us, we will answer the phone. And if people want to use the web, we will be available,” Bisignano advised workers, in response to a transcript obtained by Federal Information Community
Andy Sriubas, an company government who’s saved workers notified concerning the rollout of those programs, is stepping down as SSA’s chief of discipline operations, and can now function its chief of technique and advertising, in response to a separate inner electronic mail.
An company spokesperson mentioned the place is a brand new management function created by Bisignano, and is “focused on the overall execution of our priorities and strengthening partnerships to further the mission of the agency.” SSA Chief Monetary Officer Tom Holland will function the company’s new chief of discipline operations.
If you want to contact this reporter about current modifications within the federal authorities, please electronic mail jheckman@federalnewsnetwork.com, or attain out on Sign at jheckman.29
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