Applying for Social Security disability insurance (SSDI) benefits is an exercise in patience. It can take months, and often years, for Social Security officials to approve a disability claim. During this time, the disabled applicant often has to go through multiple rounds of administrative reviews and appeals just to get to a final decision on their application.
Indeed, delays are so bad that former Social Security commissioner Martin O’Malley admitted to AARP that “30,000 people died in 2023 while their applications for disability benefits were grinding through the system.”
So why are Social Security disability delays so bad? The biggest reason is the underfunding of the Social Security Administration (SSA) itself. While SSDI is funded through the Social Security Trust Fund, the SSA still relies on annual congressional appropriations to pay for its day-to-day operations, including the staff needed to review and decide individual disability claims. Unfortunately, the trend in recent years has been to decrease SSA’s staffing and funding, leaving fewer employees to handle an ever-increasing caseload.
A second factor is the multi-stage decision process. It is quite common for the SSA to deny an SSDI application initially. The applicant can then request reconsideration of that denial within 60 days. If reconsideration is denied, the applicant can then ask for a hearing before an administrative law judge (ALJ), who will hold a hearing where you can present evidence to support your claim. If the ALJ still denies your claim, then you can ask a Social Security Appeals Council to review your case. After that, you can take your case to federal court.
Do You Qualify for “Fast Track” Review?
So how can you expedite any of this? Depending on the nature of your disability, you may have a few options. First, you may qualify for expedited or “fast track” processing of your SSDI application if you meet any of the following conditions:
- Dire Financial Need — You are unable to afford food, access medical care, or are homeless or facing imminent homelessness.
- Terminal Illness — You have a terminal condition or disease.
- Compassionate Allowance — You have an illness or condition that is so severe that it is almost certain to qualify as a disability. Some common examples include Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), malignant multiple sclerosis, and small cell lung cancer.
- Wounded Warrior — Your disability is due to an injury or illness contracted while on active duty with the United States armed forces on or after October 1, 2001.
- Safety Threat — You are considered an immediate threat to the safety of another person or yourself (i.e., you are considered homicidal or suicidal).
Contact a Rockford Social Security Disability Lawyer Today
The most important thing you can do to speed up your disability claim is not to wait to file. The sooner you apply, the sooner your application will move to the head of the line. You should also work with an experienced Rockford Social Security disability lawyer who can advise you through each stage of the application and review process. Contact Tuite Law today at (815) 965-5777 to schedule a free consultation.
