Possible Delay Remedy

Friday, February 8th, 2008

CBS recently did a two part investigative news piece on the backlog of Social Security cases. The investigation focused on the extraordinary number of disabled applicants who have to wait for years before their claims get evaluated. What the investigation did not discuss is that many applicants have to wait months if not years to receive their benefits after their claims have been evaluated and approved.

I represent a claimant diagnosed with osteoarthritis, low back and neck pain, peripheral neuropathy, tinnitus, hearing loss, colitis, toxicity among other things. After fighting with the Social Security Administration (“SSA”) and the State agency for ten months to get a decision on the claimant’s application, I finally was told that benefits had been approved. However, despite an endless barrage of telephone calls, letters and faxes, the SSA kept providing new reasons why benefits were not being released.

Many months went by without payment of benefits. When it became obvious that nothing the claimant or I could say would motivate the SSA to pay the benefits that had been approved many months previously, I directed my client to contact her Congressman. While the SSA may not care what an attorney or claimant have to say, it responds when contacted by a federal official with oversight authority. Finally, shortly after the Congressman sent a letter asking for an explanation as to why the disability benefits had not been paid, a check showed up at the claimant’s house yesterday.

Perhaps if enough constituents contact their Senators and Congressmen some of them will address the backlog highlighted by CBS investigative news

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