State vocational rehabilitation asks $428,750 for capital repairs; DDS leaders describe backlog improvements but warn of staffing limits

The Department of Vocational Rehabilitation presented three capital project requests totaling $428,750 in state funds and defended its broader mission to prepare South Carolinians with disabilities for competitive employment.

Commissioner Johnson highlighted three repairs: a $450,000 roof replacement for the Muscular Development Center (requesting $112,500 state share), $590,000 to replace variable air volume boxes at the State Office building (requesting $147,500), and a $675,000 repave of the Beaufort area office parking lot (requesting $168,750). "So in total we are requesting $428,750 in state funds," Johnson said.

Committee members then pressed the agency on Disability Determination Services (DDS), which adjudicates Social Security disability claims on the state’s behalf. Yvonne Young, director of DDS, described a severe COVID‑era staffing and system disruption: "Back in May 2024, we had, over 40,000 cases that were waiting to be processed," she said, and explained that national hiring authorizations constrained the state’s ability to replace examiners.

Young told the committee initial pending cases have fallen to less than 6,000 and that reconsideration cases are now under 10,000, but she warned hiring is difficult because federal examiner jobs pay substantially more and many positions require about two years of training to reach full productivity. "The base salary for our examiners here in the state is now $39,000 and that average is more around 65 or 70 for federal examiners at the same rate," she said.

Lawmakers asked what the committee and executive branch might do to accelerate hiring and urged continued outreach to federal partners. Agency officials said they are pursuing assistance from SSA and other federal sites while trying to stabilize existing staff and improve business processes.