Social Security Connecticut

Backlog grows for Social Security appeals

The increase, partly a result of more disabled persons unable to find jobs during the recession, may make it harder for the Social Security Administration to continue reducing waiting times for benefits rulings, according to the analysis.

"History shows that if this growth is unchecked, as hearing dockets become more and more clogged, wait times will grow," said the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, a data research organization at Syracuse University that studied the data through March 31.

Social Security Administration Commissioner Michael Astrue questioned the significance of the increase in pending appeals, which new data from the agency shows have jumped to 740,998 as of May 27. While TRAC officials said that buttressed their report's findings, Astrue said the more meaningful measure was the faster processing and decision-issuing times produced by his agency's improvement efforts.

However, he said it was uncertain whether the agency would meet its goal to reduce the average waiting time for benefits — 367 days on average nationally for October through April — to 270 days by 2013. The TRAC report cites agency statistics that show wait times peaked at an average of 514 days for cases disposed of in federal fiscal year 2008.

"That's a fair question," said Astrue, noting that his agency has been hit by federal budget cuts that forced cancellation of plans to open eight additional hearing offices. "I think we will continue to make progress. Whether we will hit the goal on time … I don't know. I think we will be close."

The TRAC report examined data from the system that handles applications for Social Security Disability Insurance , which pays benefits to those who show they have long-term injuries that prevent them from working, and Supplemental Security Income , designed for aged, blind or disabled people who have little or no income.

In all, the two programs will account for more than $180 billion in benefit outlays for an estimated 18.3 million people during federal fiscal year 2011, federal data shows.

Applicants first apply to local agencies in their states, who handle initial reviews. Those who are denied twice are entitled to appeal to one of the Social Security Administration's nearly 1,400 administrative law judges, competitively appointed officials who issue rulings on benefits appeals applications.

Attorney Mario Apuzzo Savagely Schools Snopes.com Over Obama's ...

Snopes.com has recently published an article in which it says it has debunked the claim that putative President Barack Obama Social Security number of 042 xx-xxxx is false. The article also proclaims that Obama is a “natural born Citizen.” The article may be read at http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/birthers/ssn.asp . There are various problems with Snopes’ analysis of the claim that Obama is using a false Social Security number and with its conclusion that Obama is an Article II “natural born Citizen:” II. Snopes does not address the question of whose Social Security number is Obama using. That he is using someone else's Social Security number has been well analyzed by private investigators Neil Sanky and Susan Daniels. For a thorough explanation on Obama using a false Connecticut Social Security number, go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZlaIS5o9Vs  in which Ms. Daniels explains that the Connecticut SS number belonged to a person born in 1890 whom she has not yet been able to identify. She also debunks the Jean Paul Ludwig theory. Ms. Daniels explains that the first three digits of the number were based on the location from where someone applied for the Social Security number. She clearly explains that it has nothing to do with one’s place of birth. She also explains that there is no evidence that Obama ever lived in Connecticut and that there is no other explanation that she has found showing why or how a 15-year-old Obama living in Hawaii would have applied for the Social Security number while using a Connecticut address on the application for that number. See also Ms. Daniels and Mr. Sanky’s response to this Snopes article at http://obamareleaseyourrecords.blogspot.com/2011/06/private-investigators-respond-to-snopes.html . In her video presentation and response, Ms. Daniels explains that based on the record, Obama would have had to obtained that false number in March or April 1977, when he was 15 years old. She arrives at that conclusion because the Social Security number that precedes his by one number was issued on March 21, 1977. She states: “Obama allegedly got his CT number of 042-68-4425 in March ’77, which can be proven since the person before him -4424 and after him -4429 both got theirs then.

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