SSDI update – Social Security Drives Down Disability Backlog by Over 100,000 Cases

Social Security’s Commissioner, Martin O’Malley, has made an important announcement on X that affects SSDI applicants. SSA’s Commissioner claims that they “have driven down the Initial Disability Claims backlog for twenty-one weeks straight”.

SSA’a statistics show that the peak was as high as 1,269,713 Initial Disability Claims. However, the figure has come down to 1,155,503. Therefore, the reduction is of about 114,210 claims.

SSDI Initial Disability Claims are being sorted out faster

Martin O’Malley boasts that their data, as of November 8, reveals that the dedicated SSA employees have been clearing more Initial Disability Claims each week than the cases they are receiving each month.

Therefore, if you have just applied for SSDI, you may benefit from these faster processing times. Comments in the post on X show frustration, despair, and anger because some of them are still waiting for too long to get SSA’s decision.

SSDI and SSI disability determination processing time

SSDI and SSI benefits have to go through 3 major steps in the initial disability claims process. Step 1 has to do with meeting basic non-medical requirements.

For example, to get SSDI you must have earned enough work credits and for SSI you must have a low income and little to no resources. Step 2 will be when State DDS (Disability Determination Services) check if your medical condition is qualifying.

Step 3 will be when the field office denies or approves the SSDI or SSI claim you have made. Then, the will have to issue a decision letter to inform the disability benefit applicants. SSA states that their aim is to “process initial disability claims within approximately 7 months (215 days) by the end of fiscal year 2025.