Hillary Clinton Weighs in On Social Security Backlog
New York Senator and Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton weighed in on the Social Security Disability backlog, currently running at least two years , in response to a New York Times article on the topic this week.
"[Monday's] front-page New York Times story highlighting the human toll of the growing backlogs in our Social Security Disability Insurance system is a stark reminder that Congress and the President must act immediately to address this problem," Clinton said. "I have for several years been calling on this Administration to adequately fund the Social Security Administration to ensure that people with disabilities and retirees can access the benefits they deserve. "
The article highlights the stark facts that are causing the backlog and delaying Social Secuirty disability benefits:
- Since 2000, the backlog of cases has soared from 311,000 to 755,000
- Most applicants now wait 500 days for an appeals hearing, twice as long as in 2000, when the wait was 258 days.
What can be done to reduce the backlog and help disabled people get benefits they deserve sooner? The answer is simple really. Hire more appeals judges.
The Social Security Administration has plans to do so, but for now, the money is not there. As The Time's article points out, "the agency’s new plan to hire at least 150 new appeals judges to whittle down the backlog...will require $100 million more than the president requested this year and still more in the future. The plan has been delayed by the standoff between Congress and the White House over domestic appropriations."
Of course, the way that the SSD process is structured also contributes to the backlog. In order to be approved for benefits, a claimant must prove that their physical or mental disabilities prevent them for doing any kind of substantial work or otherwise prove that an illness is expected to result in death.
As we've blogged before, most social security disabilty claims are rejected initially, and many people find it helpful to get an attorney involved at this stage. Because of the backlog, we always encourage people to apply for benefits as soon as they become disable and unable to work.
To find out more about the Social Security Disability claims process, check out the Deuterman Law Group's Web site.
While waiting for Social Security benefits can be stressfully and a huge emotional drain, there is good news at the end of the battle.
Though two-thirds of people are denied benefits upon initial application, two-thirds of people who pursue their claim through the appeals process end up being rewarded benefits. But for many people, the long wait has devasting consequences.
The Times also published an editorial about the Social Security delays yesterday that called out President Bush for vetoing a spending bill that would have given more money to the underfunded Social Security Administration and perhaps would have made a dent in the backlog.
"Last month, Congress passed a $151 billion health, education and labor spending bill that would have given the Social Security Administration $275 million more than the president requested, enough to hire a lot more judges and provide other vital services. But Mr. Bush vetoed that bill as profligate."
The New York Times has an extensive library of articles about the Social Security Administration and the Social Security Disability backlog. I encourage you to check it out. Click on the following link to read more about Social Security disability benefits.