A Grim Milestone: More Than One Million Pending Disability Cases
NOSSCR’s Director of Policy and Administrative Advocacy Stacy Cloyd has just learned that as of the end of February there were 1,010,764 claims pending at Disability Determination Services (DDSs) across the country.
DDSs are the agencies in each state that determines the disability status of claimants for the Social Security Administration (SSA). The cases pending are both at the initial and reconsideration levels of the adjudication process.
From analyzing and consistently checking the latest data, NOSSCR has known that this grim milestone might be on the horizon for some time. At the end of December 2021, there were 971,426 pending cases, a 9.4% increase over December 2020 and 27.6% over December 2019.
More people waiting for disability decisions, and longer waits for the decisions, are taking a toll on individuals, families, and communities. In some situations, eligibility for SSI or SSDI allows an uninsured person to obtain Medicaid or Medicare, so delays in processing disability claims can cause people to delay medical treatment, or leave hospitals and clinics to provide more uncompensated care.
NOSSCR continues to monitor this growing crisis and advocate on behalf of the rights of claimants in the adjudication process.
Share!
Follow us
Recent posts
Editorial in a Prominent Capitol Hill Newspaper Calls for Increase In SSI Income Limits
A recent editorial in The Hill newspaper made a strong argument as to why Congress should consider legislation that updates the asset limits for Supplemental Security Income (SSI). The Hill is a prominent, nonpartisan Capitol...
Acting Commissioner Credits NOSSCR for First Fee Cap Raise in 13 Years
Through four Social Security commissioners over more than thirteen years, NOSSCR has worked diligently to raise the fee cap – and today we reached our goal! We are thrilled to deliver this victory to all...
Member Spotlight on Charlie Hall: “We’re reaching a dangerous point in our Social Security disability practices”
Social Security disability practices across the country are suffering from the stagnant fee cap and slow and low-paying fee petition reviews; it is significantly eroding firms’ abilities to fairly compensate attorneys and staff. Charlie...
