SSA Annual Performance Plan Issued -- Cutting Claimants Off Benefits More Important Than Hearing Backlogs

The Social Security Administration has issued its 2008 fiscal year annual performance plan and revised final 2007 fiscal year annual performance plan. The plan indicates a target of 524 days average processing time for hearings in 2007 and 541 days in 2008, which means that Social Security claimants who have asked for a hearing would have to wait more than a half month longer. The plan calls for dramatically more SSI non-disability redeterminations and continuing disability reviews in 2008 than in 2007. Giving priority to redeterminations and continuing disability reviews over hearing processing time may not sit well with Congressional Democrats.