Same old SSDI scare.......
 

Every year, you read the same story. Only the projected year changes. Gets worse around election time


CLICKY CLICK--> Social Security disability fund projected to run dry in 2016 *sigh* :rolleyes:



:hug:

I won't be shocked if reforms come at some point. I tend to think they'll push to eliminate the GRID Rules, rather than decreasing benefits for current beneficiaries.

Eliminating
 

They could save a lot of money by eliminating the first two phases of disability, and going straight to hearing, very few if anyone wins. It's pretty much a rubber stamp process at that point, and fire underachieving ALJs.

That's just not true. 1/3 of applicants are approved at the first stage.

You're also not considering the fact that the work done developing the case file prior to the hearing is necessary for the ALJs to make their determinations.

Thanks Lit Love, that is so true.

The reconsideration step has been eliminated in some states and puts more burden upon and backlogs ALJ's.

Some cases could have been decided at the reconsideration phase but go straight from initial denial to an ALJ in areas where this step has been eliminated. This adds to the workload of the ALJ's.

I would be curious to know why this step was eliminated in some areas and not others.

Rubber Stamp ???
 

In my opinion, the SSDI process is anything BUT rubber stamp. I see NO rubber stamp in ANY steps in the process. Each and every case is decided upon its merits and individually.

If outlier ALJ's were to be terminated, the ones that are approving too a high percentage of applicants would also be fired, not just the ones that have a low approval rating.

Alaska or Montana
 

Check out Alaska or Montana, you may think differently. There's a judge in Montana with a zero percent approval rating.

How many cases has s/he disposed of? Can you provide a link?

These statistics show the lowest ALJ approval rating in Montana was 22% and the ALJ only disposed of 18 cases, in 2013.

http://www.ssdfacts.com/montana

Montana