Nearly 300,000 Americans are awaiting the results of their Social Security disability appeal, amid concerns about changes to Social Security benefits and federal employee layoffs. Currently, the average processing period is 284 days, putting many families in limbo. However, with Social Security workers facing cuts and the department already facing an employee shortage, because of layoffs, delays could be exacerbated. Anyone with a disability who relies on Social Security benefits as their principal source of income may experience serious problems , ranging from being unable to pay expenses to increasing health problems.
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) pays benefits to Americans who are unable to support themselves due to a substantial, long-term medical disability. The Social Security payroll tax pays for SSDI payouts (workers and employers each pay a 0.9% SSDI tax, up to a tax ceiling of $176,100 in 2025).
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) offers basic financial assistance to elderly and disabled individuals with low income and resources regardless of their work history State programs frequently complement federal SSI benefits.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) receives 20,000 to 40,000 hearing requests each month. According to the SSA, this administrative appeals operation is “one of the largest administrative judicial systems in the world,” issuing over 500,000 hearing and appeal decisions each year.
The agency has been working to reduce its backlog, adding extra workers between 2016 and 2018, which has helped to reduce the number of hearings to less than one million. According to SSA data, its backlogs reeach a 30-year low in September 2024, with 261,574 awaiting disability hearings. However, since then, the backlog has been increasing. In February, the number of pending cases hit 271,763, raising concerns that progress is stalling.
This is likely to worsen as the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) reduces government spending, including a recent decision to reduce the Social Security workforce by 12% and shut six regional offices (from ten to four). Indeed, a study of disability programs discovered that when field offices close, the number of persons receiving disability benefits decreases by 16%. Staffing shortages could exacerbate the situation.
In 2023, a skilled disability examiner could resolve an average of 579 initial eligibility determinations per year. “The number of fully trained disability examiners who were not training others dropped from 6,627 in 2018 to 5,252 in 2023, and pending claims increased.” According to the Urban Institute, more workforce layoffs will most certainly extend this pattern, resulting in even greater backlogs.
The disability benefits system in the United States needs to be reformed. Benefits need to be increased, and the application process needs to be streamlined. People’s lives depend on these benefits, and thousands die waiting for an answer. Cuts and closures are going to make the problem worse.
Sources:
Deshpande, Manasi, and Yue Li. ‘Who Is Screened out? Application Costs and the Targeting of Disability Programs’. American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, vol. 11, no. 4, American Economic Association, 2019, pp. 213–248.
Himmelsbach, Vawn. “Nearly 300,000 Americans Waiting for Social Security Disability Appeal — Average Delay Hits 9.5 Months, Leaving Families in Limbo.” MoneyWise , MoneyWise , 22 Mar. 2025, moneywise.com/retirement/americans-left-waiting-for-disability-appeal.
Smalligan, Jack, and Adriana Vance. “Downsizing Staff Will Make It Harder to Receive Social Security Payments.” Urban Institute, Urban Institute, 20 Feb. 2025, http://www.urban.org/urban-wire/downsizing-staff-will-make-it-harder-receive-social-security-payments.
“SSI vs. SSDI: What Are These Benefits and How Do They Differ?” The National Council on Aging, The National Council on Aging, 11 Dec. 2023, http://www.ncoa.org/article/ssi-vs-ssdi-what-are-these-benefits-how-they-differ/.