The Social Security disability insurance (SSDI) program is large. There are millions of recipients of SSDI benefits and the system pays out billions of dollars every year. None of this is surprising. The appeals process for SSDI benefits is cumbersome and slow and as...
Social Security Disability
SSDI appeals carry a massive backlog
Even by the standards of the federal government, the backlog for appeals involving applications for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits is daunting. According to a Washington Post story, it is within a few thousand cases of reaching 1,000,000 cases....
It is easy to underestimate the complexity of a SSDI claim
Most people never expect to become disabled. They go about their working career, hoping they can remain employed or working for that next promotion. They may have heard about other people on disability of one form or another, but they are busy with their work and...
The OIG looks at the SSA field office reductions
In the last year and a half, the SSA has attempted to save money by reducing field offices hours. The expectation was that SSA staff could use the time that the building was closed to complete complex back office tasks, such as continuing disability reviews and...
And you thought applying for SSDI was complex
Taxpayers expect that when they spend almost $300 million on a project, they should receive something in return. The project of upgrading the Social Security Administration's computer system used for processing Social Security disability insurance (SSDI) applications...
SSA compassionate allowances help when time is of the essence
There are two things about Social Security Disability benefits that applicants should understand. The first is that it can be a long process. The second is that it may not have to be. The statistics are familiar to many who have been in the system already. In the...
SSA: Doing less with less for more
A report from the Senate Special Committee on Aging has found a disturbing trend in the operation of field offices of the Social Security Administration (SSA). Or, perhaps more accurately, the non-operation of field offices, due to the SSA closing them. At a time when...
Study: certain asthma drug combo may be particularly effective
There are many individuals out there who have had their lives impacted by asthma. Over 35 million individuals in the United States and Canada suffer from asthma. This condition can cause a person to suffer debilitating asthma attacks and other serious symptoms. In...
Disability benefits a long time coming
We always warn clients that applying for Social Security disability insurance (SSDI) benefits can be a time consuming and lengthy process. Disability programs, like SSDI and from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), have complex and detailed applications, because...
Or is it that other SSDI judges don’t approve enough?
Scandal always makes good news copy. Even if there isn't one. In fact, a scandal that relies on innuendo and implication is the best kind of all, because it can never be refuted. Much has been made of the Social Security Administration's (SSA) disability program. It...