Effects of Budget Constraints on SSA Disability Program

GAO discussed the effects of budget constraints that the Social Security Administration (SSA) imposed on state disability determination services (DDS). GAO found that: (1) SSA reduced DDS staffing for fiscal year (FY) 1987 by 3.7 percent, with 40 DDS suffering staff reductions; (2) SSA limited the number of continuing disability reviews (CDR) that it required states to do in FY 1987; (3) the reduction of CDR work loads may have cost the Disability Insurance Trust Fund more than $200 million in unnecessary benefit payments; (4) the SSA productivity measurement system did not provide accurate or uniform productivity comparisons among DDS; and (5) DDS personnel expressed concern that budget constraints could negatively affect CDR quality. GAO believes that SSA should seek sufficient resources for DDS to process more CDR.