alt.social-security-disability

On Mon, 30 Jul 2007 03:29:11 -0700, Relayer
wrote:

>My questions: What percentage of applications get approved without
>appeal

This chart for 2005 shows that 36% were allowed initially:

/disability/

The chart combines three classes of cases:

1) SSDI
2) SSI Disability
3) Concurrent SSDI and SSI

SSDI alone is usually higher and SSI alone is usually lower.

It does not include disabled widow's cases or disabled adult child
cases, both of which are much higher, in the 60% ballpark at the
initial level. Not sure if the chart includes SSI children, probably
not.

You can see a more detailed breakdown at:

/policy/docs/statcomps/di_asr/2004/ #table54

> (and if there is no initial rejection, why would that be?)

Question not understood.

>2. What is the average wait time for approval (appeal or not)

This time chart for FY 2001 shows 106 days for initial decisions and
another 94 days for recon decisions.

/disability/

It shows 294 more days for hearings processing.

And 477 days for appeals council

Something isn't kosher with the chart; as the Commish in 2005 said:

In 2001, (...)
it took an average of 1153 days to pursue a disability claim through
all stages of administrative appeal to obtain a final Agency decision.
(...)

________

The new commish outlines his plans to reduce the ALJ backlogs at:

/legislation/