Over the Last Decade, Thousands of Americans Died Waiting for Social Security Disability Benefits

Between the years of 2008 – 2019, about 9 million Americans filed an appeal for government disability benefits via the Social Security Administration. However, just over 1% of these applicants for appeal (around 110,000 people) died before receiving a decision from the agency. It’s important to note that these were not the only people that suffered in some way while waiting for a decision on their social security benefits. According to an audit by the Government Accountability Office, just under another 50,000 Americans filed for bankruptcy while waiting a decision from the Social Security Administration. The report will be looked at in further detail later in the article. However, these issues can have a less of an effect on you if you hire the appropriate social security lawyer, who can help you fill out your application and make your case.

Background Information on the Administration

The Social Security Administration manages about $815 billion every year. More specifically, this money flows through two main programs; Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), and Social Security Disability (SSD). The former involves supporting individuals who are disabled and have a qualifying work history. The latter involves providing basic minimum financial assistance to older adults as well as to persons with disabilities (both of whom would have shown that they have limited income and resources for basic survival). There are numerous social security lawyers who can help you navigate the administrative and bureaucratic aspects of the administration and its programs.


Breakdown of the Report

In the report, the auditors had mentioned that one of the main issues was the fact that the wait times at the agency had increased to an average of more than two years. Specifically, median wait times in 2015 rose to 839 days. The auditors detailed, in the report, that one of the main reasons for this increased time was due to applicants waiting longer for hearing before their respective administrative judges. It is also important to note that the auditors were not the only ones criticizing the Administration for these wait times. Specifically, in July 2019, a report by the Social Security Administration Inspector General revealed that about 4 million Americans waiting longer than one hour in line at Social Security offices before speaking with a
 
representative. The report further elaborated that one of the main reasons for these excessive wait times was due to an increase in the total number of beneficiaries over the past decade.

Conclusion

Overall, many applicants have not been able to receive the social security benefits they are entitled to, resulting in a decent number of applicants dying before they got an answer on their application. Therefore, it is extremely important that you take the appropriate precautions to safeguard yourself from any of the issues listed above. One of the best ways to do this involves hiring a competent social security lawyer. The help from the Social Security Disability Insurance program can help you take care of your finances. If you need help finding the right social security lawyer in your area then let us help. Fill out the form below to get a free case evaluation and to find a social security lawyer near you.