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SS Disability Approvals Now Taking Longer - KRDO-TV
Applicants for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits were, before the pandemic, typically subjected to about 3 – 4 months wait time before a determination was received on their application. This was unless their disability was related to a condition listed on Social Security’s Compassionate Allowance List (CAL), in which case they might receive a decision within about a month’s time. There are over 200 conditions on the CAL which qualify for accelerated processing, but reality is that most applicants aren’t disabled from a CAL-listed condition, which means they must go through the normal process for determining if they qualify for SSDI benefits.
Enter the pandemic, which significantly impacted Social Security’s operations and added to their already substantial case backlog, thus exacerbating an already long delay to obtain a decision on most applications for Social Security disability benefits. Today, Social Security is still trying to recover from it’s pandemic woes, and SSDI benefit applications are now taking about 7 months or more to obtain an initial determination. And since most (about 2/3rds) applications are initially denied, the appeal process has been similarly affected with most appeals taking another year (or years) to adjudicate.
A very difficult situation for disabled American workers, but an unfortunate reality as explained in this Colorado KRDO-TV article by Quinn Ritzdorf. Click here to access the KRDO article.
Also, if you’re unsure about how these basics apply to you, or if you have any questions about your individual situation under Social Security, note that the AMAC Foundation provides a free-to-the-public advisory service to help Americans navigate the complexities of this program. Learn more about it here…