Having a disability is an undesirable situation and making it harder to collect disability benefits is not pleasant either. Social Security is taking 100 days longer than 4 years ago to make a decision regarding SSDI applications.
What is more, there is more than 1 million applicant who are waiting for a reply. Apparently, this situation is not common and it did not used to be like this in the past.
Even some members of the Social Security Administration have admitted delays. For example, an Assistant Deputy Commissioner of Operations (Linda-Kerr-Davis per Dailymail) at the SSA said there were wait times of about 7 months. A situation that is unacceptable she added.
How long does an SSDI claim take for Social Security to reply?
The Social Security Administration has said that the average claim is taking about 220 days to be sorted out. So, waiting for more than one hundred days than what it used to be does not sound acceptable.
What is more, the wait times the Social Security Administration has set have gone over the limit too. As a matter of fact, the wait times are 150 days longer than what SSA claims it should be.
Not surprisingly, these levels of performance have not been seen in 4 decades. The thing is that if a person is eligible and cannot work, they are suffering the anxiety and stress of not having enough money to get by.
To qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI), you must meet @SocialSecurity’s definition of disability.
Understand disability and know how to apply for financial help: https://t.co/Ta9iX76g4U pic.twitter.com/BKhTOZYk83
— USAGov (@USAGov) August 26, 2023
Not being able to make ends meet when you can work is tough, but it is even worse when you are not able to work due to a condition, illness, or disease. Besides, some people pass away and they do not have time to collect SSDI benefits for the Social Security delays.
Looking for alternatives to SSDI is a priority for many applicants. For example, you can apply for SNAP to get money for healthy food. If you are a woman and have children you may get WIC too.
Do you receive @SocialSecurity or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits?
Learn how you can receive payments through direct deposit or by using a Direct Express® Debit Mastercard® for safe, quick, and convenient access to your money. https://t.co/kOwcy8E6Gs pic.twitter.com/aXDNIZ6qBA
— USAGov (@USAGov) November 2, 2023
SSI is another possibility if you cannot be eligible for SSDI or it takes too long. Hopefully, Social Security is able to mend this problem because it is affecting the lives of millions of applicants and their families.
