The Tough, Necessary Work to Reduce Disability Wait Times
Reading Time: 3 MinutesLast Updated: September 6, 2024
We strive to provide the high level of service our customers expect and deserve, but it still takes too long for the Social Security Administration and state-level Disability Determination Services offices to make initial decisions for those applying for disability benefits.
As part of determining whether an applicant is eligible, SSA provides DDS offices with the resources and technologies needed to make medical determinations. Unfortunately, despite a record high number of customers, SSA is facing significant underfunding, leaving too many DDS offices understaffed and behind schedule.
Consider this: As recently as 2018, SSA’s operating budget represented 1.2% of the annual benefits it pays, an overhead rate much lower than insurance companies. At that time, DDS offices could make an initial determination, on average, in less than four months. Today, though, SSA’s budget has shrunk to 0.94% of annual benefits, leading to challenges such as hiring and keeping state-level staff at DDS offices. As a result, turnaround times on initial determinations have roughly doubled. We want to work with Congress to secure the increases in the President’s 2025 budget, which is a big step in the right direction to help SSA to improve service levels and reduce wait times.
In total, over the past four years, Congress has funded SSA’s operating costs at a level almost $3 billion below budget requests. This underfunding – which began in 2018 – led to an increase in pending disability claims by 94%, a processing backlog jump of 60%, and a tripling in the time it takes to answer calls on our 800-number.
That’s why, since joining SSA nine months ago, I have made reducing disability processing times one of the agency’s top three customer service priorities. We’ve brought together agency’s top executive team every two weeks to deeply explore all available policies and tools that could stretch existing resources and address disability processing times within legal and regulatory constraints. The agency has also for the first time provided transparency on backlogs on a state-by-state basis.
So far, the agency this year has:
- Deployed teams from SSA to help DDS offices in states in greatest need of help
- Established partnerships with DDS offices with low attrition rates and high performance to help other states
- Expanded the national pool of medical consultants to help DDS offices with case reviews
- Reduced the “lookback” period (from 15 years to 5 years) that applicants must provide and decision-makers must consider regarding past relevant work experience of an applicant
- Enacted a change that allows the DDS office and beneficiaries to use a medical decision from a previous SSA disability program (SSDI or SSI) to also be acceptable for DDS decision-making
- Increased the use of a new platform – called IMAGEN – that quickly analyzes claimant’s medical records to help DDS offices make adjudications. More than half of cases now use this platform, double the rate from a year ago.
The agency also continues to prioritize applicants with the most severe disabilities and/or terminal conditions in order to provide them benefits as quickly as possible.
Even under difficult funding circumstances, the agency is seeing some positive signs of these efforts:
- The agency has already reached its Oct. 1, 2024, goal of processing more than 92% of our oldest cases.
- Initial claims in pending status have dropped by over 70,000 since mid-June.
- The average age of an initial disability claim in pending status is down nearly 10 days since July.
- For 11 consecutive weeks, the DDS offices have now closed out more initial cases each week than they have received.
SSA will continue to work to drive down disability processing times while calling on Congress to fund the President’s FY25 Budget request which would greatly help in meeting the needs of people with disabilities throughout the country.
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Tags: Commissioner, Disability
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Mark L.
Correction on previous post: initial submission for social security disability april 2022. Denial 8/22 (std procedure)
Appeal filed 9/2022. Still pending assignment to caseworker. 2 years and 5 months. That is NOT a backlog. That is BROKEN.
Mark L.
Submitted disability claim 10/2023. No claim worker even assigned as of today 2/12/2025. Looking for any help…beyond “sorry, we are backlogged”
JL
I applied for social security benefits, the pamphlet ssa sent me said to call or go online to schedule an ssi appointment. I went online where it said to call. I called and held for 3 hours. 30 mins of which were after 7pm est. I understand the staffing issue but the I lack of correct information is unacceptable. The recording mentioned how my feedback was important and how I could go online to provide it. Well that page does not exist.
C.B.
We’re sorry to hear about your experience, JL . We ask for your patience during busy periods. Our National 800 number is available Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Keep in mind that wait times to speak to a representative are typically shorter in the morning, later in the week, and later in the month. You can submit feedback by visiting our Contact Social Security webpage. Once there, select the “Email Us” link. This will take you to the “Email A Question to our Support Team” form, where you can complete and submit a compliment, complaint, or suggestion. You can also visit our page that explains SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY INCOME (SSI) APPLICATION PROCESS AND APPLICANTS’ RIGHTS. We hope this information is helpful.
John S.
Why do SS make you 2 hours on hold? It doesn’t make sense. An hour is unacceptable. 2 hours? That’s the worst customer service.
C.B.
Hi, John. Thank you for reading our blog. We apologize for the call wait times you’ve experienced and understand how frustrating that can be. We are working to improve our wait times and appreciate your patience. In the meantime, please complete our Feedback Form, which will give our team a better understanding of how we can improve our processes. We value your opinion and look forward to hearing from you.
Jl
The feedback form isn’t there.
C.B.
Hi, Jl. Thanks for using our blog. We apologize for any inconvenience but the feedback form is showing on our end. Please allow the page a moment to load. Thanks!
M. G.
I have been on hold for two hours and tried to click on your feedback form and it is not showing up for me either.
Vara S.
I have been waiting 7 months for the appeal of a partially favorable decision. I have heard nothing, and can’t get into my SSA account. My application was filed in December of 2018. My life has been negatively affected drastically financially, physically, mentally and emotionally ever since then. I need a decision, and for someone from SSA to step up and help get me a decision. Six years to wait is an egregious amount of time. I am looking into filing a suit against the SSA due to the egregiousness.
John A.
Social security allow me to work on a trial period to work while receiving monthly check for 9 months for 3 years. I was never contacted or sent any notifications and no adjustments were made to my checks after this period of 9 months! I had no idea It wasn’t being monitored by the social security office or is it? My checks were stopped June 2024.I have lost my home, can’t pay rent or utilities. You stressing me for an overpayment of $48,325.50 , reshape my life to live & sleep in a car cause someone dropped the ball and blames me for something they didn’t control which was their fault!! I can’t pay what I don’t have!!! Sincerely John A Garrett
S.S.
Hi, John. Thanks for reading our blog and for your question. For your security, we do not have access to private information in this venue. Our new policy may allow us to collect 10% of your total monthly Social Security benefit to recover an overpayment. We encourage you to continue to work with your local Social Security office. For more information about the overpayment process, visit our Frequently Asked Questions. You can also check out our blog. We hope this is helpful.
Jaime
I applied in 2023 and after a 10 month waiting period, I was denied for the 3rd time. I wish I was one of the people who got a faster process for appealing denials. Unfortunately, my records are more difficult to obtain, but are still on file. It seems like an act of congress to relay where they can obtain the records from. I’m thinking I have to do it on my own. I’d like to know if “IMAGEN” is an app or site and can you upload the necessary documents from there for them to be reviewed?
T.Y.
Hi, Jaime. Thank you for reading our blog, Jaime. We are sorry to hear your application for disability benefits did not go the way you had hoped. If you need help with your appeal, you can contact your local Social Security office. For more information on the appeals process, please read our publication, How to File an Appeal Online. We hope this helps.
Pv
I am helping someone, US citizen, Prifessional, age mid 60s, has some kind of cancer and has just resigned from her job.
Can you guide me how she can apply for SSDI since not yet retirement age of 67. Husband also professional is taking care of wife and has been given paid leave to take care of wife.
Can he get Federal benefit as caregiver? If you can give me info, then I can help with SSDI (told them to ask social worker at the hospital).
Just trying to help and if you can reply or give me some guidance so I can help them
Thanks.