Backlog Delays Social Security

[Guest guest]

Hi All:

Here is an interesting article from the Washington Post in

ref. to the amount of time it sometimes takes applications

for Social Security to make their way through the red tape

process. IMHO something HAS to be done to shorten this

process as it is causing many deserving people to go

through untold hardships caused by the financial problems

living without an income for two to three years. Could you

survive?

I, for one, am about to loose my home due to this hardship.

I have written several letters to my legislators about this

and I would like to urge others to do the same. Hopefully

letters from voters all over the country can get some

action started to help.

Tina

winphal@...

Backlog Delays Social Security

By Leigh Strope

Associated Press Writer

Thursday, May 2, 2002; 9:01 AM

WASHINGTON ?? Social Security officials say disabled

Americans who apply for benefits often must wait two to

three years to start receiving them because of a backlog of

applications.

Social Security Commissioner Jo Anne Barnhart delivered

those findings Wednesday to Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont.,

chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, who requested

during Barnhart's confirmation hearing last year a study of

delays in agency operations.

Barnhart was testifying about the report Thursday at a

House Ways and Means Committee hearing.

" I think the length of time the disability claims process

can take is unacceptable, " Barnhart she said.

Barnhart said she wants to make changes to the hearing

process, including developing shorter forms for favorable

decisions, allowing administrative law judges to issue

decisions from the bench immediately after a hearing,

creating a law clerk position, expanding

videoteleconference hearings and digitally recording

hearings.

She also said she thinks policy-makers must act as soon as

possible to shore up future funding for the retirement

program, and that President Bush's commission is a good

starting point for discussion.

It can take as long as 1,150 days to process a disability

application, the Social Security Administration study said.

For about half the time, the applications remain idle

because of a huge backlog of cases that haven't been

completed because of legal appeals and other procedures.

For example, there were about 200,000 backlogged cases in

2001 at the administrative judge level.

Out of 100 people who apply for disability benefits, on

average 40 will be approved in about 125 days, the agency

said, based on 2001 figures. About 35 of the 60

applications that were denied will go away, and about 25

will appeal. If a person continues through the entire

appeals process, a final decision could come in as long as

1,150 days.

About 10 million disabled Americans receive Social Security

supplemental income benefits. The Social Security

Administration receives more than 2 million applications

for disability benefits each year.

" The result is that disabled Americans are left to spend

hundreds of days in limbo without critical help, " Baucus

said.

Reducing the overflow would require additional staff and a

minimum of $400 million added to the agency's budget. Also,

at least a third of delays could be reduced by new

technology and process improvements, according to the

findings.

Social Security is expected to start paying out more in

benefits than it takes in in payroll taxes in 2017. Bush

wants to let younger workers invest a portion of their

payroll taxes in the stock market. His commission

recommended three proposals to consider, but they have been

criticized because future promised benefits would be cut.

On the Net:

Social Security Administration: http://www.ssa.gov

© 2002 The Associated Press

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