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| November/December 2024 | BAEC Bulletin
BAEC Bulletin | November/December 2024 |
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SLOW BUT SURE PROGRESS ON SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY PROCESSES BY JEFFREY FREEDMAN, JEFFREY FREEDMAN ATTORNEYS, PLLC. The Social Security
information in a file quickly and efficiently. Betsy Beaumon, chief transformation officer for the SSA says, “One of a number of areas we need to focus on is ‘how do we better communicate with our customers?’ Some customers want to be able to do things electronically.” As a result, the SSA now accepts e-signatures on more than 30 forms and has removed the requirement for signatures on 13 forms. This will significantly reduce the amount of mail handled by SSA staffers, freeing up their time for other duties. The agency also now allows more than 70 types of evidence to be uploaded by computer, cutting back on the paperwork that has to be mailed. It is also adding web-fillable forms to its website for the convenience of customers. When O’Malley took control of the SSA in December 2023, the agency was under a hiring and overtime freeze. The freeze has been removed (thanks to an emergency funding bill), and the agency now plans to hire 1,200 workers in field offices and Disability Determination Offices. Although the current changes simplify the process, successfully applying for SSD is still a rigorous process that goes much more smoothly and less stressfully with the assistance of a skilled claimants’ representative. O’Malley and Beaumon have made significant progress, but it will take more than a few changes to right a ship that’s been struggling for more than a decade. Jeffrey Freedman Attorneys, PLLC has handled over 21,000 Social Security Disability claims since 1980.
Administration (SSA) has been slow to adopt newer technology, primarily because it has been underfunded by Congress over the past decade. Lack of funding and a hiring and overtime freeze have also led to the lowest staffing levels the agency has seen in 25 years. This
critically affects Social Security Disability (SSD) applicants. Nationwide, claimants wait an average of 23 months to receive a final decision on benefits. Most applicants are denied at the initial application stage. Rejected claimants must pursue their claims further, sometimes requiring appellate review by a Federal Court. It is extremely difficult for individuals, couples, and families to go years with limited income. One of the most challenging aspects of applying for SSD is gathering the appropriate medical evidence to prove the claimant cannot work and getting it to Social Security field offices. Laura Beth Waller, chief strategy officer at the National Organization of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives (NOSSCR) says, “A lot of applicants are unhoused or in unstable housing situations. They may not have reliable access to a phone or the internet or to the amount of paperwork you need to file an application.” She added, getting an appointment at a field office and then transporting the files to the office, “places a really high level of burden on a person who is mentally or physically disabled.” The new Commissioner at the SSA, Martin O’Malley, has made progress in improving the technology systems within the agency. Ultimately this will help claimants by saving them time, effort and unneeded stress. New systems will help early identification of cases that will most likely be approved, so the approval rate at the initial application stage will go up. Staff will be helped by technology that allows them to get to critical medical
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