An independent study of the U.S. federal disability system has been commissioned by the Social Security Administration due to its concerns surrounding the validity of the system’s decision process to deny or approve applicants.
A series of articles from the Wall Street Journal, has pointed out major inconsistencies of how the federal disability system awards disability benefits in the past year. Research found that an applicant’s chances of being awarded benefits relied greatly on the discretion of the judge who reviews their file.
Relying solely on the interpretations of judges for each case has led to many of these inconsistencies. For example, last year, one Houston judge awarded benefits in 13 percent of his cases, while Tennessee judge awarded benefits in 99 percent of his decisions.
The Social Security Disability insurance program was created in the 1950s to provide health-care and financial benefits for U.S. citizens who were not able to work. If changes are not made to the program and applications continue to dramatically increase, its reserves may exhaust by 2017.
The Journal also reported that the Administrative Conference of the United States will be in charge of completing the study. Recommendations for improving the federal disability appeals process are expected to be released next year.
If you or a loved one has been denied disability benefits, Contact Sokolove law to learn about your options and receive a free legal consultation.
Disability Insurance Denial