Newsletter: Casework Champions, IRS Miscounts, and More!
While we’ve come a long way from the days when Congressional staff were expected to be mostly invisible, it’s still rare to see the staff get the credit they deserve—especially when it comes to casework. This week, we’re thrilled to congratulate the winners of the 2023 Democracy Awards, and as always, there’s a ton of agency news to cover.
Something we’ve missed? Reply here or shoot us an email at casework@popvox.org.
Casework News
Democracy Awards
The Congressional Management Foundation announced the 2023 Democracy Award winners last week. Congratulations to the winning offices! Per CMF, some things that made the winners stand out included:
Rep. Dusty Johnson [R, SD]
A quarterly casework survey that solicits feedback on all aspects of the constituent’s interaction with the casework team,
An interactive casework contact book that helps caseworkers keep agency contact information up to date and shared, and
A caseworker-driven portfolio division where each caseworker is encouraged to specialize in areas of interest to them.
BONUS for the field reps we know and love: outdoor “Drive-Thru Dusty Town Halls” in the pandemic with the Member chatting with constituents from the back of a pickup truck.
Rep. Lauren Underwood [D, IL]
Hosting proactive workshops for constituents on common casework problem areas like signing up for Medicare,
A thorough office-created casework handbook available to both new staff and interns, and
A fellowship program for students in Masters of Social Work programs to join the office to learn about Congressional casework and assist the team.
You’re all winners in our book, and we appreciate CMF’s consistent work to spotlight great casework.
Constituent Service Fairs
We spy local media coverage from another two constituent services fairs, this time from the offices of Rep Seth Moulton [D, MA], Rep Bonnie Watson Coleman [D, NJ], and Rep Andy Kim [D, NJ]. This local TV spotlight explained casework especially well.
Passport Season 4eva
Congressional caseworkers got a small shoutout in an article on how State Department employees see the passport backlog.
Checking in with Caseworkers Handling Afghanistan Withdrawal Cases
We also note that we’re around the two-year anniversary of the withdrawal of US armed forces from Afghanistan. Caseworkers who handled and are still handling these cases—we see you and the extraordinarily difficult work you continue to do, and hope you can find some time to reflect and take care of yourselves.
We’re also working on a longer report on how caseworkers experienced the withdrawal: if you’d like to get in touch to share your insights (anonymously or credited), please shoot me an email.
Agency News
PACT Act Intent to File Deadline Impacted by Technical Glitches
The VA experienced technical difficulties from the volume of veterans submitting Intent to Files before the August 9th deadline. The deadline was extended to August 14th; SecVA says that this will in no way impact any veteran’s eligibility for benefits. Veterans and dependents who saw an error message indicating that their intent to file was received will have their effective date honored.
VA Veteran Resources Newsletter
Speaking of the VA, there’s a new newsletter from the Veterans Experience Office on #VetResources as a place to share federal, state, local, and non-governmental resources for veterans across the country.
Reports of Taxpayers’ Deaths Have Been Greatly Exaggerated
A Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) report found that the IRS had inappropriately flagged several thousand taxpayers as deceased. This “lock” prevented taxpayers from filing returns or receiving refunds. TIGTA found that the errors were a combination of human and programming error. TIGTA also notes that notices sent out in these cases instruct taxpayers to work with SSA, but this is not always the most direct way to resolve this type of error.
Start Planning for Student Loan Payments to Resume
Agencies and watchdogs are forecasting a chaotic resumption to student loan payments as many loan servicers have recently slashed staff numbers. It may be helpful for casework teams to start proactive outreach to help constituents get into their accounts and update their information ahead of time.
About that $600 Venmo
Taxpayer Advocate Erin Collins discussed TAS’s plan to support taxpayers through changes to tax code in the Inflation Reduction Act—including that requirement that taxpayers need to report transactions over $600.
Plans to Modernize SSI
SSA has signaled intentions to modernize and improve access to SSI, including through digitizing and shortening forms, and speeding up the medical review process. Three Senators have asked for an update on how that’s going.
Have You Updated Your Password?
Like really updated it? This is your regular reminder that Congressional staff have been the target of nation-state hackers. Your constituents’ information is only as safe as your cyber hygiene.
Unemployment Fraud is Back
Colorado, Connecticut, and Ohio all report a recent spike in fraudulent activity around unemployment benefits. Much of this fraud comes from organized criminal enterprises and (again) nation-state hacking activities.
Veterans Move Twice as Frequently as Non-Veterans
A study by Transunion found that veterans are twice as likely to move over a three-year period as non-veterans, and that number is even higher for low-income veterans, minority veterans, and non-homeowning veterans. This high rate of mobility can make it challenging for federal and state agencies to understand the demographics of veteran populations in their districts.
A Federal Agency that Kept Paychecks Going Out During Katrina is in Trouble
The National Finance Center (NFC) handles paychecks and HR for over 170 Federal agencies in all three branches of government; a new report from the National Academy of Public Administration says that the small agency is heading for disaster without immediate action. Outdated IT and vulnerability to severe weather disruptions in the New Orleans area leave the agency vulnerable; a catastrophe could dramatically impact the federal government’s ability to make payroll.
Investigating Disasters
In the wake of the wildfires in Hawaii (caseworkers out there, we hope you and your teams are safe and hanging in there in the response) and other disasters this summer, several House Members are reviving a bill that would create an investigative authority for the federal government in the wake of a disaster (currently this is mostly a state prerogative).
Working with Local Housing Advocates?
The Federation of American Scientists is crowdsourcing federal policy ideas for increasing the supply of housing in the US. FAS will work with a selection of respondents to present their ideas with stakeholders in Congress and Executive Branch agencies. Pass along to folks in your network who may be interested in contributing.
Illustrating the Importance of Immigration Casework
The Cato Institute has an interactive game to demonstrate the hoops immigrants must jump through to obtain a green card. This is a great resource for new caseworkers, and anyone who’s ever asked you what you do.
Blast from the Past
Government Executive has an oral history of the development, implementation, reform, and continuing presence of GPRA, or the Government Performance and Results Act. This act laid the groundwork for much ongoing work to hold Executive-branch agencies accountable. If you’ve ever had a great idea for a bill that would improve casework… hang in there, change is possible.
Question for the Quorum
We’re working on a survey of resources available to Congressional staff handling natural (and other) local disasters. For teams who have been through this, is there anything that stands out to you as particularly helpful, or gaps you’d like to see filled?
Comments, questions, concerns? Anne@popvox.org.
Anne Meeker
Deputy Director
