SSA Again Delays Rollout of National Case Management and Scheduling Systems

The Social Security Administration again delayed the rollout of two national technology systems that would centralize case management and appointment scheduling, marking a shift away from local field office operations toward a nationwide service model.

In a March 31 email obtained by Federal News Network, SSA told employees that the April 13 rollout of the National Workload Management (NWLM) System and the National Appointment Scheduling Calendar (NASC) are both on hold. Instead, SSA will pilot the technologies first. It’s the second delay as a previous launch on March 7 was also postponed. 

The move to pilot the changes will allow SSA to see if expected efficiencies are realized and ensure that “customer confidence” is maintained before a wider launch. 

The agency insists the project will roll out later this year. 

A Centralized Approach

The goal is to shift focus away from local offices to a centralized, nationwide system. According to SSA, the National Workload Management system will distribute work to employees nationwide based on their “skillset, knowledge, and availability.”

The National Appointment Scheduling Calendar is intended to shift scheduling to a national system. It would offer phone appointments to customers based on national availability, not the availability of a local field office. 

SSA employees say they’re worried about some aspects of the change, including how to deal with state-specific rules if claims are distributed to employees centrally, instead of by local office. 

For example, states have different limits on who is eligible for Supplemental Security Income (SSI). 

“We don’t have answers on how we are supposed to handle this,” a SSA employee said.

But an SSA spokesperson says customers will not notice changes. 

“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 said.

Staffing Challenges

The centralization effort also comes as SSA faces significant staffing losses, raising questions about whether technology alone can improve service delivery.

Some experts say that while centralizing work has potential it likely won’t make up for the 7,000 employees SSA lost in the past year. 

“I do not think that you can reorganize your way out of a staffing crunch, particularly when you cut staff first and reorg later,” said Kathleen Romig, director of social security and disability policy at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.