NOSSCR’s David Camp Testifies on SSA Wait Times

Today, interim CEO David Camp will testify before the House Ways and Means Committee on behalf of our members and your clients. He’ll give vivid examples of the tragic physical and emotional tolls that SSA’s inefficient processes take on real people – especially those who are eligible for compassionate allowance. David will also outline commonsense, no-cost changes to the application process that could improve access to these essential benefits for the people who need them – including disabled, homeless, and terminally ill applicants.

The hearing, called One Million Claims and Growing: Improving Social Security’s Disability Adjudication Process, is set to begin at 9 a.m. in the Rayburn Building. It will be webcast at https://waysandmeans.house.gov.

Our recommended administrative changes include:

• Relying on treating physicians rather than third-party paid examiners.
• Eliminating reconsideration in the slowest states – if not all. The second step adds an average of 210 days to the process, and more than 300 days in two states—Florida and South Carolina
• Eliminating requirements for a permanent physical address. Many homeless and transient applicants are unable to meet this requirement and are effectively denied access to the application process.
• Eliminating e-signature verification, streamlining the process and saving valuable time and resources.

A huge thanks to our members, who have advocated tirelessly for your clients and shared thoughtful, detailed feedback on their experiences. The testimony today will bring broader public awareness to this critical issue and serve as a major step toward systemic change.

Click here to learn more about NOSSCR’s efforts to reduce wait times and improve claimants’ experiences.