Social Security does not always process applications and appeals people file for disability claims. Even though claims are begun online through Social Security’s website, many times the applications or appeals are never completed. Recently the Social Security Advisory Board asked Social Security to examine these “abandoned” appeals and incomplete applications to determine if a claimant intentionally abandoned the idea of filing an application or appeal. Sometimes, especially claimants who have intellectual disabilities can find the online system confusing and are unable to complete an application or appeal online. Here is a look at the advisory board’s notes on the subject.
The board also discussed the issue of so-called abandoned electronic appeals and the issues arising from incomplete applications. These incomplete applications were generated through the online appeals system. SSA agreed to review the possibly abandoned claims to determine if the abandonment was intentional. The cases were assigned to field offices to follow-up with claimants to determine if they wanted to follow through with the appeal. There is still no known solution to prevent these cases from arising in the future. Finally, NCSSMA noted that field offices had benefited from the increased information technology (IT) budget, as field office staff were rotating to headquarters to help set the requirements and function of the new system. While temporarily loosing staff for this rotation was a hardship on understaffed offices, it was considered an investment in ensuring a better system.
This is an important topic for Social Security to consider. There are likely thousands of people across the country that indented to file an application, but never completed it and the realization that no application is pending might set-in months afterwards. Appeals that are not processed are even more costly to a claimant as there is only a limited amount of time to file an appeal, otherwise the claim can be closed out.
