Social Security improves on case hearings

Despite the current economic downturn, and for the first time in several years, the Social Security Administration has reduced its number of pending disability appeal hearings, which allowed nearly 38,000 additional applicants to receive benefits.

Michael J. Astrue, commissioner of Social Security, said that during last fiscal year the backlog of hearings amounted to 760,813 cases. In 2008-2009, the pending claims were 722,822, an improvement of 37,991 cases. The average processing time for the cases improved to 491 days from 514 days.

“Our backlog reduction plan is working, and progress is accelerating,” Astrue said. “Even in the face of a significant increase in our workloads as a result of the worst recession since the Great Depression, we have reduced the hearings backlog for nine consecutive months.”

Astrue said the additional funding received from President Obama and Congress, earmarked in the stimulus package approved in February, was paramount to reduce backlogs of pending hearings.

The agency hired 147 new administrative law judges, who handle lots of appeal hearings. Social Security added 850 new staff members to support the judges’ work, and plans to hire 226 additional judges next fiscal year. The agency also opened three national hearing centers in Albuquerque, N.M, Baltimore, Md, and Chicago, Ill.

These centers process backlogged cases, and help in the handling of current and scheduled hearings. The agency also plans to open four satellite offices next year. One will be located in Anchorage, Ala. This office will begin to operate within the next few months.

This year, Social Security targeted 166,838 cases that were 850 days old or older, and almost processed them all. In 2010, the agency will focus again to speed up processing on files 825 days old, or older, Astrue said.

In addition, the agency averaged 570 cases finished per available administrative law judge this year. It amounts to 2.28 cases each judge disposed every day.