I’m going to take a break today from my discussion of SSA basics due to time constraints with my hearing schedule, but here is a good article on the current SSA case backlog.

Clients are often frustrated by the time it takes for their case to reach a conclusion.  In West Tennessee, claims generally take 483 days to process in Memphis and 568 days in Nashville once they reach the hearing stage due to the government’s case backlog.  As you can see from the article, the waiting time is much longer in other parts of the country.  While an attorney can certainly increase the odds of a favorable decision, there is very little that he or she can do to speed up the process.  Unfortunately, it appears that the backlog will only get worse with the “Baby Boomer” generation getting older.

It truly saddens me to see disabled people lose everything they have worked for while waiting to receive benefits that they are entitled to.  Though it is probably little comfort to you if you are one of the millions waiting, you are not alone.