Problems Plague Social Security Disability System

July 1, 2013

The Social Security Disability system is currently facing quite a conundrum. The program is in heavy financial stress due to a growing number of claims being filed. The increase in the number of claims has led to a backlog of unprocessed claims that are still awaiting a decision.

The backlog of claims has caused the program to receive heavy scrutiny from lawmakers calling for quicker decisions. Administrative judges who hear the cases now say they are under immense pressure to make decisions on more cases than they can handle. This has led to hasty decisions that allow some applicants to become approved for Social Security Disability Benefits that they are truly not qualified for.

Now, lawmakers are saying that the rushed decisions are costing taxpayers millions of dollars per year.

An article from the Federal Times explained, officials have stated administrative judges later approve a large majority of claims that are initially denied just to keep up with caseloads. They added that the SSA has also failed to follow up on thousands of cases that were approved for benefits to ensure that the recipient is still unable to work.

The Social Security Disability Attorneys with Fleschner, Stark, Tanoos & Newlin acknowledge the complexities of the Social Security Disability system and are here to answer questions for anyone who is considering applying for benefits or who has had a claim denied in the past.