I think the chart is misleading because it just considers percentages approved, not total numbers. The majority of claims that are approved are done so at the initial level, so rather that take the percentages in the chart, I did my own math. Here it is.

Initial claims 3,295,806 claims cleared; 34% approved. Total approved 1,120,574.

Reconsideration 819,710 cleared; 12% approved. Total approved 98,365.

Hearing 662,765 cleared; 58% approved. Total approved 384,403.

Appeals Council 103,271 cleared; 2% approved. Total approved 2,073.

Court 13,271 cleared; 3% approved. Total approved 398.

Add up total approvals at all levels 1,605,813. 1,120,574 of the total clearances were at the initial level. 69% of all claims approved in 2011 were done so at the initial level.

I did not add up the total of denials and it is true that there are many more of them than approvals. The point is that SSA approves initial applications for SSI and SSDI every day, average over 3000 a day, if you include federal holidays and Saturdays and Sundays.

Not a system that is totally broken by any standard.