Submitted by Jay from Maryland in response to “What Are Your Issues”.
As a recent employee of the Social Security Administration I can tell you that the problem with the backlogs (people waiting to receive benefits) is not a priority. Neither is helping people with disabilities who are already receiving benefits in their efforts in returning to work. One of the major problems is with Commissioner Astrue. He is a Republican appointee and not very interested in working well with the new Administration. In lofty meetings his Deputy Commissioners make jokes about the change that is happening and how they are going to keep doing things the way that they have always done them. Namely, inefficiently. If we are ever truly going to see change and help our disabled brethren in their efforts to be able to survive by receiving their much needed benefits we all need to take a stand against the barriers that block their way.
For more information that I have found concerning this issue please visit:
http://www.preserveyoursocialsecurity.com/
http://www.aflcio.org/aboutus/thisistheaflcio/ecouncil/ec03032009g.cfm
http://www.buffalonews.com/2009/10/09/822517/take-it-from-the-judges-disability.html
Reducing the backlog in Social Security disability determinations is one of our top Washington priorities – because the delays have such tragic consequences for people waiting for a decision on whether or not they will get disability benefits.
Social Security has at last reduced the backlog on hearing decisions (for people who appeal an initial denial of benefits), but the waiting periods are still too long. And the outlook for shorter waiting periods is not good because the recession has caused a huge surge in new applications for both retirement and disability benefits – because when seniors and people with disabilities lose their jobs and cannot find a new one they apply for the Social Security benefits for which they qualify.
This surge in new applications threatens the progress that has been made in processing disability applications.
To his credit, Commissioner Astrue has established a Compassionate Allowance program. This means that there is much faster approval of benefits to applicants whose medical conditions are so serious that their conditions obviously meet disability standards. For a list of qualifying conditions see http://www.ssa.gov/compassionateallowances/
In fact, the Alzheimer’s Association awarded Commissioner Astrue with its 2010 Humanitarian Award because of the Compassionate Allowance program and including early-onset Alzheimer’s on the list of qualifying conditions.
Compassionate Allowances is a joke. What about the people that use this website? Spinal cord injuries are not on that list. TBI is, but spinal cord is not, which is discriminating. Both injuries are of the same nature; damage to the CNS. They should be umbrella’ed together.
You can see where compassionate allowances is just a wimpy gnarled finger in the dyke. Social Security backlogs have been a problem for at least the last five years. Our economy wasn’t in the toilet then like it is now. Too bad we don’t all have Canavan Disease instead of SCI’s.
Stated with passion Brenda! I think something that we all can agree on- There should be no backlogs and there should be no special allowances needed. Everyone should be processed promptly and efficiently so as not to further complicate or ruin lives. That is the ball we need to keep our eye on.
Creation of special allowances indicates that the system is in trouble or broken. These fast tracks are certainly of temporary help but are in no way a solution. Without an honest overhaul the express lanes will in time also bog down.
As for awards and accolades for putting a band-aid on a burst artery? Well, no thank you. Save it for when the problem is solved for all people with disabilities.
Agreed Admin! (regarding your comment about the band-aid on the burst artery)
Here’s my question regarding the fundamentals of the determination process (which I believe is broken and also believe requires a complete overhaul)
Irrespective of current compassionate allowance lists, how can one case(mine for instance) be immediately met with favorable determination after my SCI and another case of documented SCI require extensive time and energy through he appeals process to receive the same positive determination? There is no consistency of effectiveness in a system in which such a high percentage of initial rejections are eventually met with reversals and you almost require legal representation to get that determination. Why?