The Social Security Advisory Board has appointed an independent, expert panel to review Social Security’s efforts to modernize its information technology (IT), which is essential to delivering effective service to the public. The IT Systems Expert Panel (“Panel”) will utilize their expertise and experience to examine progress and key initiatives of Social Security’s IT Modernization Plan, including how systems processes are developed, modified and used by the agency. The Panel will also review the success of the systems modernization from the end-user’s perspective, including those inside and outside the agency. The Panel, chaired by Alan Balutis, PhD, a distinguished fellow and senior director of North American Public Sector Cisco Systems’ Business Solutions Group, will meet beginning in the fall of 2019 and will report its findings to the Board in early fiscal year 2021.

SSA oversees close to 6 million payees managing $5.8 billion a month on behalf of 8.3 million beneficiaries and recipients. One of the most important activities of the Social Security Administration is the designation and monitoring of payees. The Board’s latest brief, Recent Developments in the Social Security Administration’s Representative Payee Program, highlights major issues addressed at its September 2018 policy forum and in its January 2019 public comment. The brief also reports on continued Board concerns, which include the use of evidence to inform policy changes, the implementation of the new payee monitoring process, and communication between SSA leadership and the broader public. 

Dedicated accounts are separate accounts required for holding some lump-sum past-due payments owed to children receiving SSI. The funds held in dedicated accounts are subject to spending restrictions not applicable to other SSI payments. The available anecdotal evidence suggests that dedicated accounts are burdensome for representative payees, most of whom are parents, and that their limited allowable uses make accessing awarded funds difficult. This statement describes dedicated accounts, their provisions, and the implications of those provisions for children with disabilities in low-income families, their payees, and SSA.

Bob Joondeph, JD was sworn in to begin his six-year term on the Social Security Advisory Board ending September 30, 2024. He was selected by Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member, Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), for appointment to the Board. 

The Social Security Advisory Board hosted a day-long forum in September 2018 on the Social Security Administration’s representative payee program. This forum brought policymakers, practitioners and researchers together to explore how SSA can study and improve the rep payee selection process with an evidence-based approach.

A complement to the Board's January 2018 report, the Representative Payee Chart Collection highlights data related to the administration of the program and emphasizes the growing need for rep payees in the future.

The Disability Chartbook includes 11 chapters on the administration of Social Security's disability programs, including: applications, allowances, continuing disability reviews, terminations, beneficiaries and their characteristics, variation in DDS decision-making, state administrative arrangements, hearings and appeals, processing times, and federal courts.