Castor to introduce legislation to expedite disability claims

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Castor to introduce legislation to expedite disability claims

http://www.wmnf.org/news_stories/5854

Tampa area Congresswoman Kathy Castor announced today that she plans

to introduce new legislation to expedite the Social Security

Administration (SSA) disability claims process.

According to Castor's office, over the past decade backlogged

disability claims in the Social Security Administration's processing

system doubled to about 576,000 cases.

With the hiring of 175 additional judges, there are now approximately

1,100 magistrates scheduled to review disability claims; and the wait

for an appeals hearing on a claim averages more than 500 days,

compared with 258 in 2000.

Castor says Tampa's office was supposed to get an additional judge,

but that appointment has yet to be made.

Joining Castor was Rae Burke, who said it had taken her eight

years to receive her disability check. Burke said she applied for

benefits in 2000, and was denied twice, before hiring an attorney.

She said about three years later, she received a hearing date; five

months later, she finally received a positive decision.

Being denied benefits twice is not unusual, and may be a reason the

backlog continues to grow. According to the New York Times, of the

roughly 2½ million disability applicants each year, about two-thirds

are initially rejected by state agencies. Many of those applicants

then give up, but of the more than 575,000 who go on to file appeals –

two-thirds eventually win a reversal.

Castor says her proposed bill will address the large number of

denials. She said those in the Tampa bay area waiting for the

disability claims to be heard are hard working, and deserve better

than a years-long wait. The Tampa Democrat blames the Bush

administration's war in Iraq for diverting resources from the

homefront.

Calls to the Social Security Office were not returned by airtime.

Speaking to the NY Times last December, the Commissioner of Social

Security J. Astrue said the agency had taken steps to ensure

quicker initial approval for those most clearly eligible.