Backlog of Disability Cases Showing Reductions, According to Social Security Administration
Posted on:7/3/2009
Written By: Chris Robideaux
| Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security, reported on the progress made in fiscal year 2008 in the agency’s efforts to expedite backlogged disability cases during a speech to the National Organization of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives last year. |
Headway is reportedly being made by the Social Security Administration to mitigate the number of backlogged disability claims cases. Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security, reported on the progress made in fiscal year 2008 in the agency’s efforts to expedite backlogged disability cases during a speech to the National Organization of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives last year.
“The plan we presented to Congress in May 2007 is working,” Commissioner Astrue said. “We have moved quickly to utilize new technologies, improve our business processes and add new staff. Combined with the hard work of our employees and the support of Congress, we are clearly on the right track to providing Americans with disabilities the prompt service they deserve.”
During FY 2008, Social Security hired 190 new Administrative Law Judges (ALJs), opened a National Hearing Center (NHC), eliminated virtually its entire aged case backlog of more than 135,000 cases waiting over 900 days for a hearing decision, and implemented a quick disability determination (QDD) process in all 50 states.
As a result of these and many other activities, the disability backlog at the hearings level, which had been growing at the rate of about 70,000 cases each year for most of this decade, grew by only about 14,000 cases.