Once you’ve applied for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits, you don’t have a lot of options except to settle in for a long wait. According to recent data, the average wait on a decision for an initial claim has ballooned from 110 days in 2016 to 230 days in 2024.
In fact, Social Security Commissioner Martin O’Malley acknowledged that 30,000 applicants died in 2023 while waiting for decisions on their claims – and that’s a huge issue. Here’s why disability claims are taking so long.
Staffing issues
When you file a disability application, it’s routed to a state agency known as the “Disability Determination Services.” That’s where your medical information will be collected and where a claims examiner and their team, including a doctor, will review your file and make the initial decision.
In theory, this should be a streamlined process, especially with modern innovations and technology. In practice, the state agencies are suffering from massive staffing issues. Attrition rates in some of the state agencies have been as high as 25%. Even though the agencies continue to try to hire new claims examiners, it takes a considerable amount of time for someone to develop the speed and skill necessary to be effective at the job.
Procedural changes
Changes in the law, too, have made the examination process slower. DDS claims examiners are no longer allowed to make decisions on “clear” cases (for approvals or denials) without a physician consultant’s review. That takes additional steps.
What does this mean for applicants? It’s more important than ever to make sure you submit careful, complete applications for your SSDI claim. Otherwise, you could end up struggling to get your claim approved.