Administration

Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) faces significant administrative challenges. These challenges are primarily due to the failure of Congress to provide adequate funding for the Social Security Administration (SSA)’s administrative budget. This budget provides vital resources for SSA to administer Social Security retirement benefits, SSDI benefits, and Supplemental Security Income benefits. This includes salaries for federal and state staff, technology costs, and rent for field offices.

One of the most significant challenges is the large and growing backlog of SSDI benefit determinations. SSDI applicants often wait several months for an initial determination. If their application is denied, they can request a review of their case (a process called reconsideration). This takes just as long or longer than the initial determination. Applicants denied at the reconsideration stage can then present their case to an administrative law judge. However, wait times for a decision at this stage are, on average, over a year.