Even before they begin the process most people filing a claim for Social Security disability know they could be in for a long fight. But according to a report published in the Washington Post the reality is that in 2016 alone, more than 10,000 Americans died waiting for a decision of their disability case.
The average claimant is now waiting more than 600 days – almost two years – for a decision on their case. The backlog of cases is at a record level, and yet Congress broke up for the holidays without passing a budget, a measure that could have been taken to help speed the process back up.
In 2013 the average waiting time for a decision on Social Security disability was 382 days. The figures now being reported represent a huge increase and these are just people making their first application, it does not address the thousands who must hire a Social Security disability attorney to help them appeal a case they believe has been unfairly denied. See this Washington Post series on the topic: wapo.st/hearingdisabled