Better customer Service for SSD Benefit Applicants
If you’ve tried to apply for Social Security disability (SSD) or other benefits through the Social Security Administration (SSA), you might have been frustrated by the process and the customer service. If you felt like it took too long to process your claim or had trouble getting someone on the phone when you needed help, you’re not alone. Big changes may be on the horizon.
In the spring, SSA Commissioner Martin O’Malley appeared before a subcommittee of the U.S. House Ways & Means Committee to discuss a variety of issues, including “the efficiency and operation of the Administration itself.”
Understaffing and Other Hurdles Have Created Backlogs
O’Malley said that despite having more “customers” than ever before, SSA staffing was at a 27-year low. That reduced staff handled about 81 million calls last year–no surprise when you consider that more than 10,000 people become eligible for Social Security benefits every day. That’s created delays in getting customer service, delays in initial SSD determinations, and delays in SSD appeals.
Based on data shared at the hearing, the average wait time when someone called the SSA at the beginning of 2024 was 39 minutes, with some callers waiting more than an hour. While O’Malley said the average wait time was down to 31 minutes by spring, he called that figure “nothing to write home about” and said the SSA continued to work to get that time down.
He said the average SSD applicant was waiting nearly 8 months for an initial determination, and another seven months if they had to appeal. Now, the SSA is carving out time regularly to meet on several key performance areas, including:
Operations
Human resources
Initial disability determinations
ALJ hearings
Fraud
Notices
Overpayments
O’Malley Seeks to Change the Culture at the SSA
During the hearing, O’Malley was asked if he could change one thing that would last beyond his role at SSA, what it would be. He responded that he would like to change the culture at SSA to realize that all of the huge numbers they deal with are real people. He also said the agency is looking toward more sophisticated information-sharing processes to streamline procedures, reduce overpayments, and speed up processes. An improvement in the customer service at the SSA could make a big change in the experience each person has.
O’Malley is still relatively new in the role, and some changes to the system would be subject to formal rulemaking procedures or require Congressional approval. So, the exact nature and extent of the changes haven’t fully been determined. However, improved efficiency and customer service have the attention of the new Commissioner and others in government.
Delays Aren’t the Only Problem with the SSD Process
Improved customer service can make the SSD application and appeals process less frustrating, but it won’t necessarily improve outcomes. If you need help securing SSD benefits or fighting a denial, an experienced disability benefits advocate can be your best resource. To learn more, call Disability Help Group at 800-800-3332 right now or click here for a FREE consultation.
Will I Lose My SSD Benefits if I Move to a Different State?
Social Security disability (SSD) is a federal program based on your work history and contributions to the program through payroll taxes. Your eligibility for SSD won’t change if you move from one U.S. state to another. In fact, you can often continue to collect SSD benefits while living in a foreign country. However, Medicare benefits are generally only available to those in the United States.
While earned income is considered in determining SSD eligibility, other types of income and resources are not. So, if the SSD recipient is moving to another state because they inherited a $500,000 house or because they can live rent-free with a family member, that won’t have any impact on their benefits. However, there is one way a move–whether in-state or outside the state–can hurt the benefits you’re receiving from the Social Security Administration (SSA). That’s if you neglect to inform them. You must keep the SSA up to date on your whereabouts. Fortunately, the SSA makes it easy to update your contact information.
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is Different from SSD
SSD and SSI are both administered by the SSA. However, the two programs are very different. While SSD benefits are based on the work credits you earned across your career, SSI is a need-based public benefit.
Like SSD, SSI is a federal program. However, some states offer supplemental payments to elderly and disabled residents who qualify for SSI. That means that the total amount of benefits an SSI recipient gets may change if they move from one state to another. It’s also worth noting that because SSI eligibility is based on income, certain changes in living arrangements may affect eligibility. For example, if an SSI recipient moves from one state to another to move in with a family member who will provide lodging and food at no cost, that may affect the SSI calculation.
Know Your SSD Rights
Whether you’re just applying for SSD benefits, are receiving benefits, and are concerned about how a change in your circumstances may affect your eligibility or are appealing a denial of SSD benefits, the process can be complicated and confusing. An experienced disability benefits advocate can be your guide. To learn more about how the knowledgeable advocates at Disability Help Group can assist with every stage of the SSD application and appeals process, call 800-800-3332 right away or click here to get a FREE evaluation of your case.
If you’re applying for or considering applying for Social Security disability (SSD) benefits, you’ve probably heard that denial rates are high. You may also know that if you appeal, you can wait a long time for a hearing. What you may not know is that both approval rates and the wait time for an appeal hearing differ based on geography. In other words, the chances of an initial SSD claim being approved are higher in some states than others.
In the first quarter of 2024, approval rates for initial claims for SSD only ranged from 34.8% in the state with the lowest approval rate to 57.4%. Just five states had initial SSD approval rates higher than 50%:
New Hampshire – 57.4%
North Dakota – 56%
Vermont – 54%
Nebraska – 52.7%
Rhode Island – 51.5%
Most states had initial SSD application approval rates of between 40% and 50%. But, a handful of states had rates below 50%, including:
Oklahoma – 39.7%
Florida – 39.6%
Georgia – 39.4%
Nevada – 38.8%
Tennessee – 38.3%
Arizona – 34.8%
Why are State SSD Approval Rates So Different?
There are several factors that may play a role in the SSD approval rate in a given state. It’s also worth noting that state populations vary significantly, meaning that the sample sizes are much different. For example, in Alaska, 313 initial SSD-only claims were decided in Q1 of 2024. During the same time period, more than 16,000 such claims were decided in California.
Outcomes in a given state may be affected by variables such as:
How strictly applications are assessed by the team responsible for a particular location
Access to quality medical care in the area, which in turn impacts the applicant’s ability to assemble solid medical documentation
The average age of the population, since older claimants are more likely to be approved
The availability of quality assistance with the application process
While it may be useful to know what to expect in terms of the likelihood of approval at the initial application stage in your state, it’s more important to focus on the factors that are within your control.
While most disabled workers aren’t in a position to relocate to a more favorable state to improve their odds of SSD approval, you can:
Reliably see your doctor and any necessary specialists, ensuring that you’ve established a thorough record of your condition
Follow through with testing and treatment recommendations
Assemble a complete, effective application with the right type of documentation
Know when to get help
An Experienced Disability Benefits Advocate Can Help
The SSD application process can be daunting. In the vast majority of states, more than half of initial applications are denied. You can’t afford to make mistakes or omit important supporting evidence. Fortunately, you don’t have to sort it out alone. To learn more about how our experienced disability benefits advocates can help, call 800-800-3332 right now, or fill out our contact form here.
If you’re unable to work due to a disability, you may be struggling with medical bills and other expenses. While Social Security disability (SSD) is intended to provide income for people in just that situation, it can take months or years to get approved for SSD. Even after you’re approved, there’s a waiting period for Medicare, which means you may need to find other ways to cover medical expenses in the short term.
Many people in this situation are uncertain about what they can and can’t do to try to get by while waiting for an SSD determination or for Medicare benefits to kick in. The good news is that a fundraising effort like a GoFundMe campaign to pay medical bills will not impact your SSD–it won’t affect your application, and it won’t affect the benefits you’re already receiving. But, to ensure that your benefits are secure, it’s important to understand why a GoFundMe doesn’t impact SSD, and how Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is different.
SSD is Not a Need-Based Program
You may know that your earnings can disqualify you from Social Security disability benefits. That leads many people to worry that any income or assets they have may affect eligibility. But, SSD isn’t based on financial need. It’s an insurance-type program that workers pay for through FICA withholding or self-employment taxes. You can be a millionaire and still collect SSD if you have sufficient work credits and the Social Security Administration (SSA) considers you disabled.
The reason earned income counts against you is that if you’re able to earn a certain amount in a month through work ($1,550 in 2024 unless you’re blind–then it’s $2,590), the SSA doesn’t consider you disabled. Other sources of income like a GoFundMe campaign, gifts, income on investments, trust payouts, and even winning the lottery don’t count.
SSI is Based on Financial Need
SSI is a needs-based program that is not funded through payroll deductions. Therefore, income from a wider range of sources is considered when determining eligibility–whether you earned that income or not. In other words, if you are receiving SSI or applying for SSI, the money you get through a campaign like a GoFundMe can disqualify you.
Applying for SSD Benefits And Concerned Your GoFundMe Will Affect The Process?
The experienced disability benefits at Disability Help Group know this type of question is just one example of the many ways the SSD application and appeals process can be confusing. Small mistakes can delay benefits or result in denial. To learn more about how we put our experience to work for people like you, call 800-800-3332 right now, or fill out our contact form here.
Social Security disability and other Social Security benefits are often the recipient’s main–or only–source of support. Both types of benefits are protected from most creditors, meaning that your Social Security disability or retirement benefits won’t be disrupted by garnishment to pay debts like credit card bills and medical collection accounts. But, there are exceptions.
One important exception is that the Social Security Administration (SSA) can recoup (take back) money that was overpaid to a recipient. They’re required by law to try to collect that money. In the past, that’s created crises for some who rely on disability benefits, because the SSA could take a recipient’s full disability check to pay themselves back. Fortunately, that’s changed in 2024.
Default Social Security Recoupment Rates Drop Dramatically
Until recently, the default for collecting over paid money from a Social Security recipient was for the SSA to keep 100% of the recipient’s benefits until the overpayment was repaid in full. Suddenly losing benefits entirely for a month or more could be catastrophic for someone reliant on disability payments.
Now, the default recoupment rate is 10%. That means that in most overpayment cases, the SSA will withhold 10% from each benefit check instead of recouping the overpayment as fast as possible by withholding full benefits. Note, though, that this new rule doesn’t apply in every case. For instance, if the overpayment resulted from fraud on the recipient’s part, the SSA can recoup more aggressively.
The SSA has also made other changes that will make it easier for disability recipients and others who rely on Social Security payments to repay overpayments over time, or even to avoid repayment.
What to Do When You Get an Overpayment Letter
When the SSA determines that you’ve received an overpayment, the first thing you should do is check to see whether you believe you have been overpaid. If you think the overpayment notice is an error, you can request reconsideration.
If you believe you received an overpayment but it wasn’t your fault and you can’t afford to pay the SSA back, you can request a waiver.
If you agree that you received an overpayment and you can afford to repay it over time, but can’t afford the amount the SSA is taking out of your benefit each month, you can request a change in the recovery rate. This option is only available if you show that you can’t afford your basic living expenses with the current rate of recoupment.
Need help? At Disability Help Group, we know the SSA’s processes can be complicated and daunting. Whether you’re facing issues with an overpayment, are just starting your disability application, or have been denied benefits, our experienced advocates are here for you. To learn more about how we can help, call 800-800-3332 right now, or fill out our contact form here.
