It's a problem facing more than 20,000 families in Indiana and nearly 50,000 in Michigan. People, who say they're unable to work, are appealing to the Social Security Administration for disability benefits; but they have to wait for years. ...
The Selners [who are waiting and waiting for a Social Security disability hearing] are in a very long line. They're among 24,000 Indiana families still waiting to appeal their case to an administrative law judge. In fact, Indiana has one of the biggest backlogs in the country.
Advocacy groups for the disabled ranked Indiana as seventh worst when it comes to delays in getting an appeal hearing. Michigan is fourth.
"I don't think I would characterize it is a crisis, but it is something we are extremely, extremely concerned about,” said Robert Walsh, spokesperson for the Social Security Administration.
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Aug 11, 2007
A Social Security Spokesman Accidentally Demonstrates The Source Of The Problem
From WSBT in South Bend, IN:
Would this look like a crisis to Robert Walsh if it was his family?
It is far beyond being a crisis--at this point it is approaching a catastrophe, especially with the rapidly declining staff leaving fo's unable to work cases that do get approved.
ReplyDeleteI find it interesting that the stories state that the claimants are waiting for decisions regarding their disabilities. Those who are "waiting and waiting" for hearings have already received TWO decisions stating that they do not meet the disability criteria.
ReplyDeleteThat us not necessarily true--in a number of states, there is no reconsideration--if the initial claim is denied, a hearing must be requested, which can take up to two years to be decided. It can take over a year just to have the case assigned to an administrative law judge. meanwhile, the case sits in limbo, with no action being taken.
ReplyDeleteEven if Indiana is a "prototype state," the Selners have received a decision from the State Agency. Apparantly the State Agency found their application to be wanting. SSA should focus on the time it takes the State Agency to make the initial medical determination, and have faith in that decision, rather than allow external forces to define the problem as "the time it takes to get a hearing before an ALJ."
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