DOUGLASVILLE, Ga. — Amid a backlog of claims, the wait for Social Security disability benefits continues to grow in the U.S., and federal data shows Georgia among the states with the longest processing times.
It's a difficult predicament for those waiting on needed financial support during a crisis. The Social Security disability program is meant to be a safety net, providing a monthly payment to those eligible to help meet basic needs when the unthinkable happens.
For the Dickens, the unthinkable occurred in January when James had a stroke, his wife Schantalyn told 11Alive. The couple had only recently married in November 2023.
"You plan on getting married, and after getting married, you plan on a happily ever after," Schantalyn shared. "It was so unexpected. We didn't know that the morning of January 5 at 3 in the morning, James would have a massive stroke."
Since his stroke, James has been recovering in a nursing facility. Meanwhile, Schantalyn continues to check in with eligibility officials to see whether her husband's disability claimed has been reviewed and approved.
" I had no idea," she said of the waiting. "It's just heartbreaking," adding that the family is fundraising to cover costs in the meantime.
According to the Social Security Administration, more than 1.2 million initial disability claims were pending across the country as of June 28. A spokesperson confirmed that approximately 81,000 cases were pending in Georgia.
Yet, the time it takes to process cases varies widely. The national average for making an initial disability determination is 187 days, while in Georgia, the determination takes an average of 287 days. South Carolina tops the list for wait times, with 325 days for initial determination. SSA attributes much of the delays to staffing challenges.
The spokesperson shared the following statement further explaining the issue:
"Each state has a state agency called Disability Determination Services (DDS) to process disability claims for the Social Security Administration (SSA)," the spokesperson shared. "DDSs nationwide, including Georgia, have been facing staffing challenges which have impacted the processing times of disability claims. SSA is continuing to reallocate resources from various components within the agency to aid states by providing direct assistance with disability workloads and integrating technological advancements to better streamline case processing without compromising the quality of determinations. We are adding 400 more disability examiners in DDSs nationwide and providing disability examiners with improved technology to gather and review medical evidence."
The Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency, which handles redetermination at the state level, also answered 11Alive's questions, sharing that Georgia has a backlog of 82,400 initial and reconsideration applications.
"Applications are processed/pre-developed from the backlog first and then assigned to an Adjudicator. Once the case is assigned, the processing time is approximately 95 days in Georgia," a spokesperson for the agency shared.
The Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency further explained that staffing shortages are to blame for Georgia's backlog.
"State offices across the nation are experiencing staffing challenges," the spokesperson from GVRA said. "We work closely with SSA to obtain the ability to hire. When the FFY 2025 budget is signed, Georgia’s DAS Office will ask to hire 50 additional adjudicators and ten support staff to assist with training and call center operations over the next several months. This follows a hiring freeze issued by SSA in October 2023. These employees will replace others who resigned to accept positions elsewhere; however, training takes up to one year for adjudicators to handle all cases."
For Georgians awaiting determinations, the GVRA encourages the following:
- Submit any relevant medical records/documentation at the time of application (if possible). Relevant documentation includes records, etc., related to the allegations listed in the application.
- Complete questionnaires and any other forms received with as much detail as possible. This minimizes the time Adjudicators spend contacting claimants to fill in missing information.