Cross-Post "Social Security Administration faces a record backlog"

[Traveling_Home]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2935496

"The Social Security Administration faces a record — and rapidly growing — backlog of appeals by people who claim they are too disabled to work. Through June, it had just over 745,000 cases pending, and the wait for a hearing averaged 17 months, also a record."

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Should have been posted in here anyway

T

[napi21]

1. Is there ANY Shrub Fed. Dept. that is actually working right?

I swear, every day I hear about how screwed up another Dept. is! The FCC, FDA, DOD, HHS, State with their passport fiasco! I can't think of a SINGLE one that is actually doing even an acceptalble job, let alone a good job!

[Traveling_Home]

2. Social Security has never worked right under any Prez

They are a vicious rogue agency, employing scum sucking bottom feeders who consciously lie to people with disabilities trying to file legitimate claims - but then I worked with them for years as a Consultant with the State of Colorado's Division of Voc Rehab during the Clinton Administration and during Bush the First

[napi21]

3. But they never had a backlog THIS high before did they? n/t

[Traveling_Home]

4. I have never seen what ....

the difference is whether you have to wait 15 months or 18 months to be lied to by a scum-sucking bottom feeder at SSA. Read some GAO reports from the 90's - especially related to SSA work incentives. An SSA worker refusing a work plan for a disabled single mother to publish a cooking book - the SSA worker thought there were already enough cookbooks - Another SSA worker denying a work plan because it included a Wheelchair Accessible Van because the SSA worker couldn't afford a new car and therefore the worker with a disability shouldn't be allowed to get one.

Rogue Agency - always has been - always will be

Prez's come and go but entrenched SSA bureaucrats stay forever. Back in the 90's more money was spent yearly on BONUSES for SSA workers then was spent on work incentive approvals to attempt help SSA beneficiaries return to work. It's the Culture of the Company - SSA needs to be broken apart and all functions related to Disabilities removed from their oversight. Maybe move it over to Voc Rehab - maybe take workers away from SSA and set them up in a new agency with oversight by Disabled and Professional Advisory boards.

T

[cutlassmama]

5. Took me 24 months to get approved. I have a stack of medical

documentation that is five feet high. Fifteen diagnoses and take 23 medications a day. I'm in a hospital bed, that I can't even get out of. 24 months (2 years) is what it took to get approved.

[pudding man]

8. Social Security disability has never worked right

Section 223(d)(5)(A) of the Social Security Act:

An individual shall not be considered to be under a disability unless
he furnishes such medical and other evidence of the existence thereof as the
Commissioner of Social Security may require ....

Thus, the "burden of proof" in Disability Determination rests with the
claimant. This has virtually assured:

1.) Very contentious adversary proceedings in Disability Determination.
2.) Some number of persons who are disabled by any rational
standard in common use will be denied disability benefits.
Some of these can reasonably be expected to die without having
received any benefits from the monies that were withheld
from their earnings and held "In Trust" by the SSA.

As regards 1.), Disability Determination at the Social Security Administration
has created the largest system of administrative courts in the United States.
The size of the system is indicative of the degree of contentiousness.

It is a hideous mess.

Particularly for certain cases i.e. disability "pain" cases, SSA constitutes a
massive "Denial Machine".

Puddin'

[happyslug]

6. SSA AWAYS falls behind when the economy goes bad.

The main reason is that people who lose their job, then apply for Social Security Disability given whatever disability they have had. Many of these people had work with the disability, but once terminated find they can NOT get another job, or do another job. Various reason exist for this, including prejudice against he disabled (and prejudice for youth). These people them apply for Social Security Disability.

Now the above paragraph make it sounds like these applicants are fakers, but that is often NOT the case. In many cases they did a job but how they did the job IS NOT HOW THE JOB IS PERFORMED GENERALLY IN THE NATIONAL ECONOMY or they fellow workers MADE ACCOMMODATIONS FOR THEM THAT ARE NOT GENERALLY DONE IN THE NATIONAL ECONOMY (Employers also make accommodations for disable workers, both because they want to keep a good worker AND to meet Americans with Disabilities Act requirements). Once such disabled workers lose their job, they have to find another OR try to get Social Security Disability. It is possible that the applicate just can not work, without the accommodations he received at his or her previous employment.

Such Applicants increase the number of people applying for Social Security Disability. In addition the baby-boomer's are aging, the peak year for the birth of baby-boomer's was 1957, and 2007 is when they turn 50. Social Security takes into consideration the Aging Process and makes it easier for 50 year olds to get Disability, so many people previously denied re-apply at age 50.

Just two reasons for the Increase number of people applying for Disability, and the increase number of people applying is why SSA has fallen so far behind.

[Silver Swan]

7. My take on high backlogs..

I was one of those scum-sucking bottom feeders until I retired.

And during the last eight years of my career, I was actually one of those aforementioned scoundrels that write the hearing decisions for Administrative Law Judges.

At one time, I worked in a unit with 54 employees. We all handled only disability cases. The higher ups decided that the unit should only have 25 employees, so as we retired, we were not replaced.

With 25 employees trying to do the work of 54, no wonder there are huge backlogs.

[Steven_S]

9. I expected problems back in August when I filed...

I had heard that it takes 5-8 months at least and then they often deny you on the first try.

The lady in the New Rochelle, NY office was so good to me I couldn't believe it. I assume the diagnosis of ALS had everything to do with it, but still - she flagged the claim to be expedited, had me apply for Medicare and Medicaid and helped me get it approved in five weeks.

She even called me herself to tell me it had been approved, and asked how I was holding up.

Medicare may be another story altogether. I'm about to find out.

[Traveling_Home]

10. I believe that ALS ....

falls into the category of a TERI case (terminal illness) and qualifies for expedited handling. When my son was diagnosed with metastisized Colon Cancer, he qualified immediately as a TERI case also - here's the form from the SSA website that attached to TERI cases and I'm sure folk can find more generalized information there if they so desire

http://www.ssa.gov/OP_Home/hallex/I-03/I-3-0-92.html