Welcome back! We hope your holidays were well-celebrated, you’ve slept and eaten to the fullest, and you’re ready to dive back in.

The federal government is mostly in wait-and-see mode while we wait for the incoming administration to get set up, but as always, we have a curated roundup of the headlines that might impact casework in the next few months.

If you have questions about our work or suggestions for how we can be helpful, please feel free to reach out by replying to this email, or shoot me a note at anne@popvox.org.

Anne Meeker
Deputy Director
POPVOX Foundation

Casework News

End of year roundup time! Here are some neat lookbacks from Members of Congress that caught our attention over the break (did we miss yours? Send it our way!):

Rep. Lawler [R, NY] announces the resolution of 5,000 cases
Sweet profile of a caseworker for Rep. McClellan [D, VA]
Rep. Thanedar [D, MI] has an op-ed about the importance of constituent services
Rep. Strong [R, AL] shares some casework topline numbers
Rep. Pfluger [R, TX] also shares casework numbers and money returned
Year-end press release from Sen. Rosen [D, NV]
Sen. Luján [D, NM] shares a year-end roundup
What a win! Coverage of a case from Rep. Malliotakis [R, NY] to reunite a Staten Island pastor with his children after ten years apart

Agency News

WINDFALL ELIMINATION PROVISION FALLS

If we were a newspaper, this would be our all-caps title, as President Biden signed the Social Security Fairness Act yesterday. There will undoubtedly be some casework to work out from the law’s repeal, but it’s a new era for folks handling Social Security in affected states.

IRS announces payments to Americans who did not receive COVID stimulus checks

These payments will be automatically sent to Americans who did not receive one or more Economic Impact Payments during COVID and did not claim their Recovery Rebate Credit on 2021 tax returns.

GAO issues report on IRS DirectFile

The Government Accountability Office, which we have a major crush on, issued a report on the IRS DirectFile pilot’s initial season. Recommendations include making sure that IRS has adequate and adequately trained customer service support to help taxpayers use the tool, and to expand the information that can be prepopulated in DirectFile for most taxpayers.

Big VA changes coming under Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act

Changes under the Dole Act will include expanding VET-TEC, piloting in-home care coverage, improving Community Care, funding for mental health support for certain caregivers, centralizing caregiver information, and lots more.

Just 5,000 federal employees receive compensation for 2015 OPM hack

Federal employees who could demonstrate financial hardship related to the 2015 hack of OPM records were eligible to claim up to $10,000 from a 2022 settlement; however, of the 27,000 people who filed for compensation, only 20% were deemed eligible. Remaining funds will be returned to the Treasury.

VA launches green burial pilot

This is neat! The VA just launched a pilot for veterans who would like to be buried in pilot “green burial” plots that do not use embalming fluids, use biodegradable casket materials, and native/natural plants.

Oversight Committee calls Martin O’Malley to testify on SSA’s remote work policy

Former SSA Commissioner Martin O’Malley has been called to testify before the House Oversight committee about an agreement he signed with AFGE allowing some SSA employees to telework through 2029.

New numbers for federal locality pay

Possibility for some confusion for federal employees here: President Biden finalized a general raise for federal employees in the General Schedule (GS, as in GS levels) that will take effect in January, but it will be primarily distributed in locality pay, meaning that some employees will see a larger raise than others. Waving hello from snowy Cleveland, which has the dubious distinction of the lowest increase.

VA Electronic Health Records resume rollout in 2026

After pausing the rollout of its new EHR system from Oracle-Cerner, the VA announced it will resume rollouts after extensive troubleshooting in 2026. For more context on the tech and modernization challenges facing the VA, the Georgetown Beeck Center’s director Lynn Overman provided interesting testimony to HVAC late last year.

More context on improper payments numbers

Why it’s always important to understand how data is created and maintained — we were among many who celebrated lower-than-usual improper payment numbers at the end of last year, but this op-ed points out some reasons why that number may not reflect true progress on reducing improper payments.

SIGAR releases report on staffing for Afghanistan reconstruction missions

The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) released its latest Lessons Learned report on staffing challenges that contributed to a chaotic US military withdrawal.

Understanding ID theft

If you’ve gotten casework related to identity theft (for example, clearing up improperly filed tax returns, or victims of scams targeting veterans and their families, or replacements for stolen SNAP benefits), this is an interesting look at the market for selling personal information, and some federal rulemaking that may impact ID theft.

Sign of casework to come?

Possibly a representative case for similar casework in the new year: Silicon Valley manufacturer Jabil discovered that many employees it had contracted through a staffing agency were undocumented. The company called finding candidates to replace the undocumented employees a “herculean task.”

Under-the-radar changes to SNAP in the current Farm Bill draft

A provision from Rep. Don Bacon included in the current draft of the Farm Bill would allow states facing natural disasters to contract with outside companies to deliver some administrative SNAP provisions.

Newsletter: We’re So Back