Delays in processing disability applications impose 'significant hardships' in Tennessee

Published May 15, 2022 by Anita Wadhwani, Tennessee Lookout

A longstanding backlog in the processing of disability benefits applications from people who are too sick to work has surpassed 1.1 million people nationally — a 27% increase from pre-pandemic levels two years ago and a level not seen in more than a decade.

In Tennessee, the number of people waiting to see if their disability benefits have been approved has increased by 40%, according to data complied by the National Association of Social Security Claims Representatives, a membership group of disability law attorneys and paralegals.

Attorneys in Tennessee say the long wait has imposed "significant hardships" on many of their clients, including losing homes, jobs and access to health care benefits received through employers. In extreme instances, attorneys described clients who have died — from illness and suicide — while waiting.

The Social Security Administration oversees two disability programs: Supplemental Security Income for low-income individuals without a work history, and Social Security Disability Insurance for workers who become disabled. Both programs provide monthly federal payments for people found to be too debilitated to work. Disability Insurance benefits are based on an individual's prior employment history, ranging from a few hundred dollars per month to more than $2,800. Supplemental Security benefits for people without a history of employment max out at $841 per month. The administrative work of receiving, reviewing and approving or denying benefits from the federal programs is delegated to each state.

Employees who handle disability claims are being evaluated on how quickly they get through phone inquiries — just 10 minutes per call, an inadequate amount of time to answer questions about the often intricate application process, Harris said. Applicants are frequently asked to re-submit the same lengthy sheets of paperwork months after they first apply.

Last month, Social Security offices across the nation reopened after a two-year closure.