Backlogs In Maine And How To Pronounce NOSSCR

From the Maine Public Broadcasting Network:

According to figures from the National Organization of Social Security Claimants Representatives, known as NOSSCR -- or noss-car -- the backlog of people around the country waiting for decisions on their social security disability applications increased by more than 38 percent last year.

Nationally, the number of new claims filed between 2008 and 2009 jumped 14 percent. In Maine, it was slightly higher: 17 percent. Topsham attorney Jim Fongemie says all this is creating longer wait times for decisions and hardships for his clients who are appealing their initial denials. ..

It's a trend that mirrors what's happening around the country, says spokesman Steve Richardson of the Social Security Administration. "We always see the unemployment rate affects the number of disability claims we receive, and with the recent unemployment numbers at over ten percent, the number of our disability applications are expected to peak in 2010 at over 3.3 million, and that's kind of what we're seeing."