The news on the wait for an administrative law judge hearing just keeps getting worse! Many claimants wait well over a year, and this is after initial appeals are finished. Each step can add 3-6 months to the process, and then there is the unconscionable wait for a hearing before and Administrative Law Judge. Part of the problem is increased numbers as the population ages – a 55-year-old is clearly more statistically likely to be disabled than a 22-year-old. Staffing cuts and budget cuts are them main culprit, and it remains to be seen what the new Congress will do about this. 