Social Security disability applications backlogged
PHOENIX Adria Howard doesn't understand why her application for Social Security disability payments was denied without explanation.The mother of two from Tolleson, Ariz., had worked until recently, when she was diagnosed with breast cancer that had spread to her back, and the pain made her job impossible. Now, she is preparing an appeal, and statistics show it could take nearly a year to get a hearing with an administrative law judge. Meanwhile, her bills stack up."With chemo and everything, at this point, I cannot work," she said.Sarah Burkhart of Chandler, who suffers from a neurological disorder, waited 2 and one half years for approval of her disability benefits. She had to move back in with her parents during the long process.The Social Security disability program, which is funded by Timberland Shoes Online workers' payroll deductions, is intended to help people who get sick or injured and no longer can work.As the nation ages and effects of the recession linger, millions are applying for disability benefits, and Social Security can't work through the claims fast enough.Pressure is building on the system because aging Baby Boomers, many still in the workforce, are more prone to injury as they get older. The recession also caused many who were hanging on to jobs despite chronic medical issues to apply Timberland Auckland Nz for benefits when they lost those jobs.Most applicants are rejected in their initial written request because they fail to supply enough evidence of a disability. After two rejections, their next step is an appeal before a judge. Applicants, on average, now wait 10 and one half months in Arizona for those hearings. Judicial approval rates vary greatly across both the state and Ray Ban Stockists New Zealand nation.The average wait time for Arizonans who Cheap Timberland Boots Nz apply for benefits is 316 days, according to the Social Security Administration. That is down significantly from 450 days two years ago thanks to an increased effort to clear the oldest cases, but still longer than acceptable, say Social Security Administration officials and people who have waited through the application process.In Arizona, about 8,900 people are waiting for a hearing to determine if they will receive benefits. Nationally, about 750,000 await a hearing.The Social Security Administration has added staff and increased automation to cut the backlog of people seeking hearings and to reduce overall waiting time, said Lowell Kepke, a San Francisco based spokesman.But just as the administration was making its effort to reduce the backlog, the recession pushed several thousand more people nationwide to apply for benefits."I will tell you, 316 days is still too long (to wait for benefits)," Kepke said. "What I can say is we had the spike in requests and still made progress."A key reason for the long delay between application and approval of benefits is a safety mechanism built into the program since its inception in the mid 1950s. To ensure applicants aren't gaming the system, the application is complex, requiring thorough documentation and detail.Wade Pennell, another disability benefits recipient, said it is all but impossible to collect without the help of a lawyer.And now the program faces another challenge.Burkhart was diagnosed in 2008 at age 28 with a complex neurological disorder and genetic joint disorder. The neurological disorder affected her heart rate and caused fainting. She had to quit her office job, and struggled with finances while fighting for, and winning, disability benefits. She waited 2 and one half years.In the meantime, she lost the lease on her house, racked up debt and moved in with her parents even though she had been in the workforce for eight years."It was really a lot of work," she said. "It was a lot of paperwork, which is hard when you are sick."Burkhart eventually hired a lawyer to help her. Even though she worked as a bookkeeper by trade, the application was daunting."That is a challenge for a lot of people," she said. "I was Longchamp Tote Price going to the doctor like once a week, and requested copies of the tests and statements from the doctor, and would Buy Pandora Charms Online New Zealand send them to (the lawyer) right away."More than a year after her diagnoses Buy Longchamp Online Nz and quitting her job, Burkhart was able to manage her chronic illness enough that she began working about 15 hours a week from home for the same employer she had before.Two and a half years after applying for benefits, she received a check for back pay for the period of work she missed.The average monthly benefit is about $1,100 a month, and Burkhart said she received less than that Cheap Polo Clothes because of her short work history.The money helped her pay down some of the credit card debt she accumulated, but not everything."It definitely would have been a lot more helpful if I were able to get the benefits when I needed them," she said.
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