Waiting In Indiana

From the Indianapolis Star:

Dana Smith waited three years for a judge to agree she qualifies for Social Security disability payments.

Had she lived in a state other than Indiana, the wait could have been much shorter.

That's because Indiana has one of the worst records in the country for processing the disability claims of people unable to work because of medical or psychiatric reasons. ...

For a determination at the Indianapolis offices for Social Security disability or Supplemental Security Income, the average applicant waits 749 days from the time of filing until a hearing before an administrative judge, the step necessary if claims are denied -- and most are.

Most Americans wait 505 days, the Social Security Administration estimates. ...

Nationwide, the Social Security Administration has 10 percent fewer judges to hear case appeals than it did a decade ago, while the number of cases has increased by more than 176 percent, said Carmen Moreno, regional communications director for the Social Security Administration's Chicago region, which includes Indiana.

By the way, this appears to be another story generated by Allsup.