The Social Security Administration (SSA) recently released promising data on pending disability hearings. The numbers show a steady decline since 2016, reaching a low of 278,751 cases by May 2024. However, this seemingly positive trend paints an incomplete picture.
The real story lies in the growing backlog of initial disability applications. Congressman Drew Ferguson (R-GA) highlights a troubling statistic: for the first time ever, over 1 million people are waiting for the SSA to process their initial claims. This surge in applications, coupled with staffing shortages, has created a bottleneck in the system.
The average processing time for claims has ballooned to 220 days, a stark increase from 2019 and exceeding the SSA’s own performance standards. This delay can be directly linked to the agency’s staffing woes. The SSA is experiencing its lowest staff-to-customer ratio in 27 years, with separation rates reaching a concerning 10% in 2022.
The impact is most acutely felt by applicants facing long wait times. As of 2023, the average wait time for an initial disability decision is a staggering 229 days, followed by 225 days for reconsideration and a grueling 361 days for a hearing. This explains the decrease in pending hearings – it’s not a sign of efficiency, but rather a symptom of the growing backlog.
Recognizing the crisis, SSA Commissioner Martin O’Malley has taken steps to address the situation. Launched in February 2024, “SecurityStat” is a data-driven tool aimed at setting goals, implementing solutions, and tracking progress. This initiative focuses on achieving specific targets, like reducing call center wait times, providing clearer communication to applicants, and monitoring key performance indicators.
So far, SecurityStat reduced processing periods from 458 days to 329 days in just a few months, while average wait times before SSA answers calls went down from 42.2 minutes in November 2023 to 18 minutes in May 2024.
While SecurityStat has shown early promise, it remains a Band-Aid cure.
The long-term solution hinges on staff growth. A recent budget allocation allows the agency to hire 1,200 new employees, a positive step. President Biden has further bolstered optimism by requesting an 8.5% increase in SSA funding for 2025, potentially allowing them to hire 6,000 additional customer service representatives.
While the declining number of pending hearings may appear encouraging at first glance, it’s crucial to recognize the underlying cause – a system overwhelmed by a surge in applications and hampered by staffing shortages. Addressing these core issues is essential to ensuring timely access to disability benefits for those who need them most.
