I do not intend to minimize your health problems, but your conclusion that the reason claims are denied is that SSA has a systemic plan to deny disbility claimants because the government is out of money is just wrong. According to the actuarial data at socialsecurity.gov http://www.socialsecurity.gov/OACT/S...SDIbenies.html shows that in the last 40 years, the numbers of disability recipients has gone up every year and today there are 3.8 times as many people on disability than there were in 1970. Almost 4 times as many people. I do not have the population increase to compare it to, but I really doubt that there are 4 times as many US residents now as there were 40 years ago. And if there are, that shows that the percentage of recipients remains the same.

The problem is and always has been that there is not enough staff in SSA to do the job any faster than it is being done. I know that there are people who file for SSDI that are not disabled, but their claims are given the same consideration as those of you who are 'truly disabled'. Because being found disabled means you meet the legal standard, that anyone reading the same evidence should come to the same conclusion. A finding of disability is not as black and white as a math formula, but it should be consistent between adjudicative levels. However, ALJ's have broader authority to make decisions, just like a manager can make a decision that a lower level employee cannot make because they don't have the authority.

Most claimants for benefits believe that they are truly disabled and wouldn't be filing if they weren't. But if you were to read all their medical records and listen to their symptoms, you might think they are not. And that is why there should be an objective system, not a subjective system.

It is flawed, no doubt. I think it is impossible to make a set of regulations that everyone thinks is fair because as soon as a line is drawn, the disabled are on one side and the non-disabled are on the other.

SSA has two conflicting responsibilities: to pay valid claims for benefits and to safeguard the trust funds so that benefits are paid to people who are legally allowed to be paid. Don't know how that would be possible without following regulations.

A diagnosis of cancer may mean 9 months of chemo followed by going back to work full time or it could be terminal. A diagnosis of depression may require bi-weekly visits with a therapist and a mild anxiety medication, or it could require intensive inpatient psychotherapy and strong psychotropic drugs to relieve suicidal thoughts and actions. A person with a back injury may no longer be able to do heavy labor but may be able to manage the laborers and go back to work. Another back injury could require strong daily pain pills and restriction of activity to not much more than sedentary. And on and on.