Social Security has an $800 billion annual budget, and is one of the government’s largest expenses. Best known for sending monthly payments to retired Americans, SSA also pays disability claims for 18 million people each year, with numbers increasing due to the recession. The Social Security Administration currently faces one of the largest backlogs in the program’s history. The Social Security Administration’s data showed, at the end of January 2008, the number of cases waiting for a hearing decision was 751,767, leading to average waiting times of 499 days in the 2008 fiscal year. It is widely known the waiting time unacceptable to most people and despite Social Security’s efforts over the past several years, these delays have seemed to increase. It is known that over the past two years it has been very economically challenging for the American people. In the year of 2009 the Social Security Administration received 3 million initial disability claims, which is an increase of 15 percent since 2008. Due to the rise in disability claims, it presents a huge challenge to Social Security to provide quality reviews and timely decisions across the board. In addition to these frightening statistics, it is also financially straining upon the individual states with regards to staffing which contributes to the slow application process. Every day it is helpful to remind people to be confident that Social Security benefits will be provided to those who need them and to be confident that their tax dollars are being spent wisely.
As many are aware, Social Security does not provide the most accurate and thoughtful decision as expected by a claimant while going through the process of a claim. Social Security decisions are examined by Disability Determination Services Bureau. Again, it is important to remember funds provided to the Social Security Administration are crucial and the disbursement is critical as well. Many delays are caused not only by the increase of applicants, but also due to layoffs by the states. A Statement by Social Security Commissioner Michael Astrue, released June 20, calls the report “sloppy and irresponsible. It focuses on the wrong measures, ignores the tremendous progress we have made in addressing the disability hearing backlog, and reaches the incorrect conclusion that we are ‘faltering.’” He further states that the TRAC report “bears little relevance to the public’s experience,” which has been a reduction in wait times as the number of people waiting over 270 days has consistently fallen since 2008.
At the hearing level many people often wonder if judges are fair in their assessment of disability claims. The Wall Street Journal recently put the spotlight on one judge, who for the first six months of fiscal year 2011, approved payments in every one of his 729 decisions, according to the Social Security Administration. A person would naturally question the integrity of the judge’s decisions and if the Social Security Administration is trying to move cases along as quickly as possible through the system to reduce the overwhelming backlog. The national average approval rate at the hearing level is 64 percent. However, regional approval rates vary.
