News Category: Social Security Backlog
Denied Social Security Disability Benefits, Cancer Patient Continues to Work
Yet another sad story of how the Social Security disability backlog impacts lives. 47-year-old Heather Russell was diagnosed a year ago with Stage IV cancer and applied for Social Security disability benefits. She was initially denied benefits, and so kept working at her job at Home Depot despite the toll the end-stage cancer was taking on her. Russell died before receiving Social Security Disability benefits. And it wasn't until a few weeks before her death that her family learned that her claim likely could have been expedited because o ...
Read More | 2 CommentsN.C. Man Denied His Rightful Social Security Disability Benefits
The Social Security Disability backlog has been widely covered in the media. We've blogged about the topic quite often here. Statistics showing how deep the backlog is -- as much as two years in some cases -- are compelling. But it's stories like that of Kevin Smith of Spindale, N.C., that illustrate why reform and improvements to the Social Security Disability system are so necessary. Because of a bureaucratic mistake -- a computer coding error -- Smith failed to receive $14,000 in back pay after being approved for Social Security Disability b ...
Read More | One CommentDisabled Still Face Long Wait for Disability Benefits
New Jersey has The Boss, The Sopranos and Snooki -- and apparently one of the lengthiest backlogs for Social Security Disability claims. According to a report at NJ.com, a new survey from Allsup reveals: The average New Jerseyan will wait as long as 16 months before a hearing to determine whether they are eligible for benefits. Although that’s an improvement from more than 17 months in September 2008, it’s still the 13th longest wait in the country. Reviewing the first two applications in New Jersey takes an average of six months, said ...
Read More | No CommentsAdministrative law judges unable to keep up with deepening Social Security Disabilty backlog
A month ago, we reported that the economy and elevated unemployment rates around the country were add to the Social Security Disability backlog and lengthening the amount of time that disabled people must wait for their benefits. The trend continues, according to the Las Vegas Sun: Since October, the number of people waiting to have a claim processed has jumped more than 30 percent, from about 556,000 to 736,000 last month. Although most of those initial claims will be denied, many will end up before an administrative law judge on appeal. N ...
Read More | No CommentsRecession Deepens Social Security Disability Backlog
A new study from Allsup shows that as the country's economic recession continues and more people find themselves unemployed for extended periods, Social Security Disability claims are up. But the length of time disabled people must wait for their benefits has increased. Among the findings of the Allsup Disability Study: Income at Risk: For the second quarter of 2009, people with disabilities experienced an unemployment rate 53 percent higher than people without disabilities, according to data from the U.S. Department of Labor. In June, ...
Read More | No CommentsLawmakers Taking Note of Social Security Disability Delays
Social Security Disability is a flawed system where far too often, honest, hard-working disabled workers are denied benefits as a matter of course. Dan Neer, a 38-year-old North Dakota man who injured his back moving furniture learned this the hard way: It took him more than two years from his first application to get Social Security disability benefits. Unfortunately, Neer's case is not unique. The backlog to receive benefits currently is running about two years. That's why we encourage people to apply for benefits as soon as possibl ...
Read More | One CommentSocial Security Disability Backlog Is Unexcusable
Mike Ervin, a disability rights activist with ADAPT, has written a compelling editorial about the Social Security Disability Backlog, which is forcing most disabled workers to wait for years for benefits. "We must stop the inexcusable delay in getting Social Security benefits to people with disabilities. Hundreds of thousands of people who have filed legitimate disability claims with the Social Security Administration have been forced to wait, on average, an astonishing 520 days for a hearing on their claims. Many have waited as long as ...
Read More | No CommentsHillary Clinton Weighs in On Social Security Backlog
New York Senator and Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton weighed in on the Social Security Disability backlog, currently running at least two years , in response to a New York Times article on the topic this week. "[Monday's] front-page New York Times story highlighting the human toll of the growing backlogs in our Social Security Disability Insurance system is a stark reminder that Congress and the President must act immediately to address this problem," Clinton said. "I have for several years been calling on this Administrat ...
Read More | No CommentsSocial Security Disability Backlog at a Record High
There's a misconception among many workers that winning Social Security Disability benefits is easy and quick. The contrary is actually true. Even if you're entitled to benefits, your claim is likely to be denied initially. And most people wait 18 months or longer before they begin collecting benefits, a backlog that can cause extreme financial stress. USA Today covered the Social Security backlog in a recent edition. For those of us in the business of helping disabled workers collect their Social Security benefits, the article rea ...
Read More | No CommentsSocial Security Backlogs hurting lives
In addition to the outrageous delay in the processing of Social Security Disability appeals that claimants have to deal with, it seems as though the traditional deny and delay tactics of private insurance companies have crept into the Social Security Administration. Check out the investigative reporting by WCNC, where the reporters have discovered that 7 out of 10 claims are denied by disability determination agents. http://www.wcnc.com/news/local/stories/wcnc-043007-al-disability_insurance.2203eaa4.html and the video http://www.wc ...
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