STATEMENT: Federal Courts Find Social Security’s Adjudication Process Flawed

May 26, 2023 – Washington, DC.— Lisa Rein’s Washington Post story, “Federal Judges Find Fault with Majority of Social Security Disability Appeals,” is a heartbreaking indictment of America’s largest disability adjudication system.

Americans turn to the Social Security Administration to access their benefits at the worst moment of their lives — when a debilitating injury or illness removes them from the workforce. The bureaucracy faced by Social Security claimants and their families is daunting.

And, as this article shows, the system is tilted against them despite court orders demanding correction. After years of appeals, an absurdly high percentage of court reviews confirm that the Agency’s findings continue to be rushed and legally insufficient.

NOSSCR supports common sense solutions to help those with disabilities so severe that they can no longer work. NOSSCR supports the “We Can’t Wait” legislative effort to remedy the harmful five-month waiting period that SSDI claimants must endure. For years NOSSCR has pushed SSA to modernize. Obvious solutions such as answering phones, using modern health care information technology, and eliminating the use of occupational data from the 1970s are overdue.

And, as the Washington Post highlights, the disability appeals process fails to respond to reasoned federal court rulings—causing needless inefficiency and years-long delays for those who qualify.

This story spotlights a struggling system. NOSSCR stands ready to work with Capitol Hill and the Social Security Administration to improve the disability adjudication process.

ABOUT NOSSCR

The National Organization of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives (NOSSCR) is the largest community of advocates for Social Security claimants in the nation. NOSSCR and its members advocate for improvements in Social Security disability programs and work to ensure fair representation for all claimants. To learn more, visit https://nosscr.org.