Have you tried to call social security lately about your disability claim?  Are you a veteran trying to find out about your military benefits?  Or perhaps you are a injured federal employee trying to find out what happened to your workers compensation payments.

No matter, as probably you are one of millions of American veterans, federal employees or social security claimants who now seem to be left on permanent "hold" when calling in to the VA, the USDOL or the SSA to ask about your claim. 

The most common questions being asked repeatedly by Americans across the board of federal agencies appears to be

"Hello...is anyone here?  Is anyone working?  Can someone help me....please?  Anyone....?"

The reason you and millions of others are asking this question is likely because there is in fact nobody in charge at these and many other federal agencies. 

According to USA Today (11/10/09), almost 200 top positions for the VA, USDOL, SSA, etc. remain vacant and waiting for someone to be placed in charge by the current Administration.  

As Mexican drug cartels battle wars on our borders, there is no one in charge at either the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) or over at the ATF.  As a nationwide health care reform bill is waged in Congress directly impacting  Medicare and Medicaid, 95 million Americans enrollees in those programs programs are left wondering what will happen to their benefits as no one is in charge at either agency.

At the SSA twenty top positions remain vacant waiting leadership as the SSA reports that pending claims now are piling up in the millions. 

At the VA fifteen top jobs need filling as the VA is crushed under an onslaught of unresolved claims that have waiting times now being measured in years and decades.

Unless and until the Administration puts someone in charge to run these and other federal agencies, you are not alone in trying to find out what is happening with your federal claim. 

The lights may be on over in the Federal Building but nobody is home.

While many government agencies appear to be foundering and lost without anyone working in the top positions, I am pleased to announce that over in the USPS, we were successful in proving that someone was actually employed and working there. 

It only took the government four years to recognize it.

In this federal workers' compensation claim,  the postal worker was injured on her job in 1997.  She promptly filed for and was approved for her federal workers compensation benefits.    She remained on the roll as an employee with the USPS while she recuperated from her injuries.  In 2005, the claimant returned to full time work with the USPS.

In 2006 the Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP) notified the claimant that her  federal workers' compensation benefits for her accepted on-the-job injuries were being terminated.  According to OWCP the reason why her benefits were being terminated was because the claimant....had not returned to work at the USPS.

We promptly notified the OWCP that the claimant had indeed returned to work at the USPS and had been working there full time since the prior year.  The OWCP refused to believe this.  We produced copies of paycheck records directly from the USPS.  The OWCP did not budge.  The USPS itself submitted affidavits stating that the claimant was employed and had been working there since 2005.  Still the OWCP turned a blind eye and insisted that the claimant had refused to return to work and was not employed by the USPS.

We then had to go through the OWCP appeals process including a final appeal to the Employees Compensation Appeals Board (ECAB) in Washington DC. 

Finally in October 2009 -- almost 4 years after she had returned to work at the USPS and more than 12 years after her original injury claim -- the ECAB finally recognized and agreed that the claimant had indeed returned to work and was employed by the USPS afterall.  The ECAB promptly ordered that the OWCP reverse its prior decision and to reinstate the claimant's benefits.

If you would like to read past articles on Veterans disability, social security disability or federal workers compensation claims, appeals and processing, click here!