Andrew Iparato, President & CEO of American Assocociation of People with Disabilities
Andrew Imparato, President and CEO of American Association of People with Disabilities recorded during a national conference call on July 31, 2007.
Kansas leads the country in the number of residents having to wait to get Social Security disability insurance, according to rankings released Tuesday.Almost 15,000 people in Kansas are waiting for a decision.
Social Security disability payments
When it comes to processing disability claims through Social Security, Kansas has the worst backlog in the country, an advocacy group says.
Almost 15,000 Kansans are in limbo, waiting for a decision on whether they qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance, according to a report released Tuesday from the American Association of People with Disabilities and Allsup Inc., a company that provides assistance in helping people get Social Security and Medicare benefits.
The two organizations looked at the number of people waiting for a decision on disability insurance versus those who already receive benefits. Kansas led the list for the largest backlog per capita. The state was followed by Washington, D.C., North Dakota, Michigan and Alabama.
More than 1.4 million Americans either are working through the application process or their requests are being reconsidered or appealed.
"We are talking about people with significant disabilities who paid into the system throughout their working lives, who have a right to a fair and efficient process when they need the benefits," said Andrew Imparato, president and CEO of the American Association of People with Disabilities. "Right now, I think it would be hard to describe what people are experiencing as a fair and efficient process."
As of May, Kansas had an average wait of 580 days for hearing an appeal.
Jim Allsup, CEO and President of Allsup Inc., said Social Security offices in Kansas faced the same difficulties as others across the nation: fewer staff members dealing with more claims.
"I think if you went in and you dissected the state of Kansas, what you are going to find is probably a larger loss of staff in relationship to the work loads than the other states," Allsup said.
Formidable odds
Allsup is head of an Illinois-based company that helps shepherd people through the government's decision-making process for disability benefits. The company receives a percentage - usually 25 percent, but not more than $5,300 - of the amount of money awarded to applicants in retroactive benefits.
If approved, disability payments are based on how long the applicants work, how old they are and how much they earned. The average monthly payment Allsup obtains for its clients is $978. Depending on the person's financial status, disability insurance also includes Medicaid or Medicare.
Nationally, more than 60 percent of all Social Security disability claims initially are denied.
Social Security spokesman John Garlinger, who is based in Kansas City, said the backlog has been growing for some time.
Across the country, there has been a lack of judges to hear appeal cases, Garlinger said. And as baby boomers age, they become more prone to developing a disability.
Also, Social Security offices are being asked to take on new responsibilities, such as verification of Social Security numbers and assistance with Medicare Part D.
And the agency is receiving on average $150 million less per year than what is recommended in the president's budget, Garlinger said.
"We have less people to look at more cases with less money to work with and other work loads increasing," Garlinger said. "That is a tough row to hoe."
Cutting the waits
During testimony to the Senate Finance Committee in May, Social Security Commissioner Michael Astrue laid out a "road map" for improving the backlog, Garlinger said.
Among those changes are upgrading to better electronic systems, improving the business process and finding ways to fast-track targeted cases.
In the region that includes the Kansas City metropolitan area and stretches to Lawrence, Garlinger said, about a dozen new staff members have been hired in the past 18 months.
Imparato said Congress - as both the entity that funds Social Security and writes legislation - is in a position to make changes.
U.S. Rep. Nancy Boyda, D-Topeka, stated in an e-mail Tuesday that the existing backlog is "anything but effective and efficient."
Her office tracks how many complaints constituents have with federal agencies. And right now, her office is working on twice as many Social Security issues than any other kind of concern.
"This is a real problem, and I'm troubled to find that it's a bigger problem in Kansas than in other states," Boyda stated in her e-mail.
Comments
LJWorld.com doesn’t necessarily condone the comments here, nor does it review every post. Read our full policy. Also, read about banned accounts and harassing comments.
smitty (anonymous) says…
Since this is federal how can it be that each state has a diferent backlog ratio? If you apply in Kansas is the review done by Kansas? I don't think so. What is it we are doing to create years of delay with the necessity of lawyers to get your claim acknowledged and approved? How is it possible for each state to administer their own standards for a federally regulated program?
My mind's eye sees incompetent, rude, and disinterested government employees collecting thier checks and pensions without much heart for those who they are paid to serve.
Love my country
Fear My Government
geekin_topekan (anonymous) says…
I see people on their way to disability claims everyday.
It is amazing how incompetence is considered a disability.For real,many just simply claim stupid and couldnt fill out a job app but they somehow are able to fill out a claim form and make it to their appointment on time,.And you know,they NEVER miss their appointments.Hell or high water they are there when called upon.
Just my humble opinion,1-5 are ligit,the rest are ineligible but can't blame them for trying.Just that they are creating a back log with phony/ineligible claims.I have seen many who get a check for one disability or another, stand in line when the guy driving a work wagon pulls up looking for a few strong backs.Disability has left an open door for scam,you don't even have to be an artist.Just have patience.
stops4armadillos (anonymous) says…
Well, Smitty, yes, the state of Kansas DOES do it's own disability determinations. And yes, it is the same federal standard in every state, but these are human beings looking at medical (and other) documentation. The determinations are always subjective which is why there is an appeals process. In fact, you can appeal up to 3 times. Are some claims bogus? Sure. It happens in every social program. Tell me how to avoid it? Some folks just know how to work the system. Let's remember, though, that this system is there and is very important for those who do need it to live. And if anyone thinks you're getting rich or living high on the hog on SSDI or SSI, you have a lot to learn.
SSDCOALITION (anonymous) says…
Since Social Security Disability is a Federal program, where you live should not affect your ability to obtain benefits. Sadly this is not the case. What most don't realize is that after you file your initial disability claim at your local Federal Social Security Office or online, that information goes to a state DDS/Disability Determination Services facility in the state where you live to be processed. There, the most crucial part of your disability claim, the medical portion, is reviewed by a caseworker/adjudicator and medical doctor on their staff who never sees you, and in most cases never even communicates with you at all. Then they decide whether or not they feel you are disabled based on the information that you and your doctors have provided. Thus the explanation for the fluctuation in denial/approval/backlog rates by state. Unfortunately there's very little if any oversight, on these state offices to ensure they are making the proper decisions on disability claims. That's why so many claimants appeal to the hearing level, where a huge percentage of bad state decisions are overturned and cases are finally approved. If better decisions were made at the initial stage there'd be no need for hearings in the first place, yet it seems this fact has been greatly ignored.
SSDI is an insurance plan administered by the Fed Gov that is paid for by FICA Tax deductions out of American's hard earned paychecks. Trying to get SSDI benefits affects every aspect of a claimant's life. Many lose all their financial resources, homes, even their lives while waiting for help, in fact many contemplate or attempt suicide. It seems that this program is currently structured with as many obstacles as possible, to discourage claimants, hoping they "give up or die" trying to get their benefits. I was very unaware of these problems until my first experience with the SSA. After almost dying, and continuing to battle several incurable diseases, I lost all my life savings/pension money, and I'll never be able to recover from the financial, physical and emotional devastation that was caused while filing for my own SSDI benefits. My horror story can be found on my website "A Bump On The Head":
http://www.frontiernet.net/~lindaf1/b...
If you think this couldn't happen to you you could be DEAD wrong! I alert you to the case of Dane Edwards, who applied for SSDI benefits in October 2006, having terminal lung and brain cancer. When he'd call to check on the status of his claim he was told he must wait like everyone else, and to stop calling. Dane will no longer be calling and never received his benefits. The last precious, few months of his life were spent in anger and frustration, fighting a system, which failed him miserably. He was 53 years old when he died on February 13, 2007 - his SSDI disability claim still waiting for approval. Unfortunately I must report that stories like his are becoming more and more common.
dogbait (anonymous) says…
Very touchy subject! There are many that feel like geekin does on this subject. I do not know how many claims are legitimate but the statement that "Nationally, more than 60 percent of all Social Security disability claims initially are denied" do have a reflection on this matter. I sympathize for those who really need the benefits and have to wait and jump through hoops to receive it. It simply is not fair but the blame is not necessarily the "system" for the backlog. Most of the blame has to go to ones who "just want a free ride" and everyone knows what we are talking about here. If you were to remove the 60 percent that are initially denied, the 40 percent who really need the benefits could be processed quicker. It is the way life is, the ones who want something for nothing always burden the rest. I suggest doing what the insurance companies are all doing now. Yes, periodically send out an investigator to check on the "claimed disabled" and see if their condition have "improved". One of major problems in disability claims is "mental disabilities" which would be very difficult to "determine" the legitimacy of the claim. I also think that they are many job positions that could be filled by a person with a "disability" that are not.
I know many disabled persons who do want to work but cannot find "these positions". For those who need the benefits, I say "hang in there" because you deserve it. For those looking for a "free ride" I say "get off your butt and stop holding up the line for those who really need it!" I am in the group with the Baby Boomers who will be lucky to receive the benefits when we retire or if we can even afford to because of those who have taken advantage of the "system". So don't ask the ones who are still working to be so compassionate and try to convince us that it is the "system" at fault when we all know "it is always the lazy ones who put undue stress on the working class". If you don't agree, fine, but maybe you are trying to hide something yourself?
ASBESTOS (anonymous) says…
"My mind's eye sees incompetent, rude, and disinterested government employees collecting thier checks and pensions without much heart for those who they are paid to serve."
Ding DIng Ding we have a winner!
smitty (anonymous) says…
Another version of poverty pimping!!