Woman applies for Social Security disability benefits. After more than a year there's still no determination on her claim. She contacts a newspaper reporter who sends an e-mail to Social Security on a Friday inquiring about the case. The following Monday the woman gets a call from Social Security saying her claim had been approved.
By the way, Social Security doesn't normally call you to tell you that your disability claim has been approved unless there's an SSI claim involved and the description in the article of the woman's family income suggests that there wasn't an SSI claim involved.
6 comments:
What is your point? Are you suggesting it was somehow nefarious of staff to place a call to a claimant who was so anxious for news about her claim that she contacted the press?
LOL-
And you CERTAINLY wouldn't have rushed an ALJ to issue the decision just because of a phone call from a reporter. Totally agree this is pure coincidence, and great for the "5 on your side" or whatever reporter! Who gets results! ;)
I have called claimants of they had contacted me several times on their status. Also called TERI claimants to give them a bit of peace of mind.
If SSA needs more info (w/c) or if there are auxillary claims I may call.
But it's not the norm.
10:27, it doesn't say it was before an ALJ and given the time frame, I bet it was either stuck at DDS or had somehow not even been sent over there yet. It doesn't say she ever got an initial denial. I wonder if DDS was sitting on it waiting to see if it met the 12-month durational rule. Cardiac listings are pretty clear-cut so I imagine that now that it's been pending so long, it's probably pretty obvious if she meets a listing, and the DDS can spit out an answer quite quickly if someone tells the examiner "there's media interest in this case, can you put it at the top of your pile."
Could also be a coincidence that the award came just at the right time and SSA was able to call her and deliver the good news.
@12:53. DDS's are overwhelmed. We have caseloads over 200. If we get a call from the press or similar, we'll probably be told to get that claim done, and we will. There's nothing nefarious going on, as someone else said. There's just a lack of manpower, a huge backlog across the country, and more people needing help than there are analysts to help them. But ultimately, DDS isn't holding a claim to meet the duration requirement; we just can't get to it.
Cardiac claims are by no means clear cut. They are difficult, especially for younger individuals like this woman. Cardiac claims often require med-voc allowances and transferability of skills, which is among the most complicated parts of the adjudication process. Cardiac listings are very detailed and require specific things; there's not a lot of wiggle room.
I'm glad this woman was able to get her decision. I'm sure DDS called due to the media inquiry, but like 10:15 said, I don't see why that's bad. It's unfortunate that claims are backlogged and taking so long, but it's just the current reality.
At the local field office, I’m so overwhelmed, I love getting congressional or media inquiries on specific cases. At least when that happens, management actually gives me time to process the case.
Otherwise, it’s just work the 400 to 500 cases in between answering phones, taking new claims to add to the list and working the front lines. If I have to hear “take a balanced approach” one more time I’m gonna be in prison for my reaction.
It’s a sad state of affairs!!!!
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