CORY
.
BOOKER
suite sd-359
NEW
ERSEY
DIRKSEN BUILDING
WASHINGTON
DC
0510-3007
(202)
224-3224
Bnjted
States
Senate
June
8,
2018
Nancy
A.
erryhill
Acting
Commissioner
Social Security
Administration
6401
Security
Boulevard
Baltimore,
MD
1235
Dear
Commissioner
erryhill:
I
write
today
to
express
serious
concerns
with
the
backlog
for
disability
hearings
at
the Social
Security
Administration
(SSA)
n
relation
to the
Administrative
Review
Process.
Our
ocial
Security
system
provides
crucial
income
security
for
many
ulnerable
Americans,
but with
an
increase
in
applications
and
a growing
backlog,
millions are
waiting for
their
critical
lifesaving
and
arned
benefits.
As
ou
know,
enied
applications for
disability
insurance are
subject
to
an
extensive appeals
process.
Last
year, applicants
waited
an
average
of 596
ays
to plead
their
cases before
an
Administrative
Law
udge
(ALJ),
early
double
the
average wait
time
from
2012.
n
New
Jersey,
the
average
processing
time
is
even
longer,
with
claimants waiting
over
700
ays
to
appear
before
an ALJ.^
From
eptember
2017
to
February
2018,
New
ersey's three
hearing
offices
had
a
ignificant
amount of
ending
cases,
otaling
23,900
across
the
state;
5,995
in
Jersey
City,
9,286
in
Newark,
nd
8,619
cases
in
South
Jersey.^
My
onstituents
waiting
for
a
hearing date
are
among
he
most
vulnerable
in
the country;
they
struggle
with dwindling
savings
accounts,
limited
funds
to
access
prescription
medications,
and
ven
foreclosure
on
heir
homes.
Between
FY16
nd
FY17,
ver
18,700
people
died
nationwide while
waiting
to receive
a
earing
date
for
their disability
benefits.''
This
is
simply
unacceptable
and Americans
deserve
better.
I appreciate
the
Agency's
effort
to
put
orth
goals
focused
on
curbing
the
implications
of
extensive
wait
times
and
he
number of
earings
pending
in
the
Compassionate
and
Responsive
Service
(CARES)
nd
Anomaly
lan.
While
the
CARES
lan
begins
to
address
mounting
wait
times,
we
ust
continue
to
find
ways
to aid the bottlenecks
that exist at
all
levels
of
he
cCoy,
errence.
The
Washington
Post.
597
ays.
And
till
Waiting.
20,
November
2017.
http://www.washingtonDOSt.com/sf/local/20l
/1
1/20/10000-people-died-waiting-For-a-disabilitv-decision-in-the-past-vear-wijl-he-be-next/?utm
term=.83etO 18dfc95
-
ocial Security
Administration.
Hearing
Office
Average
Processing
Time
Ranking
Report
FY
8.
https://www.ssa.gov/appeals/DataSets/05
Average
Processing
Time
Reoort.html
^
Social
Security
Administration,
Hearing
Office
Workload
Data
FY
8.
https://www.ssa.gov/appeais/DataSets/02
HO
Workload
Data.html
•*
McCoy,
errence.
The
Washington
Post.
597
days.
And
till
Waiting.
20,
November
2017.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/local/2017/1
l/20/lQ000-people-died-waiting-for-a-disabilitv-decision-in-the-
past-vear-will-he-be-next/?umi term=.83eft)
8dfc95