If you have applied for disability benefits and are experiencing delays in a decision from the Social Security Administration (SSA), you’re not alone. Social Security wait times have increased over the past several years and have doubled since 2016. The total average processing time for 2024 so far is 225 days, compared to 110 days…
When you reach retirement age, your Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits will typically convert to Social Security retirement benefits without any additional application required. The amount you receive may stay the same, although it could be recalculated based on your work history and earnings leading up to retirement age. Additionally, while there are set limits…
As inflation continues to hike up the prices of consumer goods and living expenses in the U.S., the SSA makes sure its 71 million beneficiaries can still support themselves and their families with the annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA). This is when the SSA increases checks by a certain percentage to ensure the purchasing power of…
After SSA field offices were forced to close for nearly two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there are plans to reopen offices for in-person consultations as soon as possible. The federal agency has reached an agreement with its labor unions to bring 45,000 SSA employees back to its field offices in April. This follows…
The Social Security Administration recently announced a hiring freeze, which could increase the backlog in Social Security Disability cases. Andrew Saul, the new SSA Commissioner, announced the freeze on July 31, and the notice stated the freeze was enacted in an effort to help improve hearings and field office wait times. The freeze affects all…
Recently Congressman John Larson of Connecticut reintroduced a bill to increase Social Security benefits in the future. The Social Security 2100 Act would expand Social Security benefits, while extending future program solvency. There are both proponents and critics of the bill. Let’s take a closer look, and explore how this could impact Social Security Disability…
Could you imagine having a serious, chronic illness and relying on Social Security Disability benefits for your necessary medical treatments, only to have your benefits abruptly stopped, when your condition is getting worse? This is what unfortunately happened to a 22-year-old woman diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis, an incurable disease that causes serious lung damage. She…
An investigation recently uncovered highly disturbing findings that doctors in Tennessee were paid for the quantity of federal disability program applications they reviewed, a system that creates a blatant disregard for proper procedure and attentiveness, and instead rewards efficiency motivated by greed. These doctors would hastily review disability cases, denying a majority of likely viable…
Congressional budget cuts to the Social Security Administration (SSA) over the course of the past eight years have forced the SSA to reduce staff, leading to long wait times and delays in resolving benefit issues. The impacts of the budget cuts are felt sharply by disabled and retired Americans who depend on these benefits to…
An older Oregon couple—he with a degenerative muscle disease and she with a rare form of cancer—claim they are now entangled in a battle with the Social Security Administration (SSA) as they battle for their lives. A detailed article on the couple’s claims is available here. Last year, the SSA sent the couple a letter…
I will never forget you and the hard work you did to secure my Social Security Disability benefits. Thank you!
