President Donald Trump’s federal hiring freeze is expected to worsen the already significant backlog of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) cases awaiting hearings at the Social Security Administration (SSA).
As of May 2016, approximately 1,650 Administrative Law Judges (ALJs) were handling SSDI claims across the U.S. Despite this, the average wait time for an appeal decision was 526 days, according to the SSA’s Office of the Inspector General. At that time, over 1.1 million Americans were waiting for a decision at the hearing level.
To reduce these wait times, the SSA had planned to increase the number of judges to 1,900. However, the federal civilian hiring freeze ordered by President Trump has put those plans on hold.
While the executive order allows the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to grant exemptions, it also directs the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to develop a long-term plan for reducing the federal workforce within 90 days. The hiring freeze will remain in effect until that plan is implemented.
The SSA Commissioner has expressed hope that Social Security officials will request an exemption for hiring additional ALJs and support staff, and that the administration will approve it.
Meanwhile, existing judges are under intense pressure. One ALJ noted that many judges are already working unpaid overtime, reviewing thousands of pages of medical records and expert evaluations for each case. These are not decisions that should be rushed, especially when people’s lives and livelihoods are at stake.
Unfortunately, for many Americans who are unable to work and are depending on SSDI benefits to cover basic living expenses and medical bills, this hiring freeze means even longer delays before they receive a decision.
If you need help with an SSDI claim, contact one of our Bailey & Galyen offices to set up an appointment with one of our SSDI lawyers.