Social Security Disability: SSA Needs to Improve Continuing Disability Review Program

The 103rd Congress mandated that SSA conduct at least 100,000 CDRs in the SSI Program,and the 104th Congress increased the amounts authorized for CDRs in both the SSI and DI programs through FY 2002. In response to the congressional mandate, SSA dramatically increased the number of full SSI CDRs in FY 1996; the number done in FY 1996 exceeds the total of all SSI CDRs done in FY 1991 through FY 1995. The number of DI CDRs has also increased. Further, SSA has plans to conduct over 8 million CDRs between FY 1996 and 2002, which is twice as many CDRs as the agency has conducted over the past 20 years combined.

SSA has improved the process for identifying which beneficiaries should undergo full CDRs and has planned improvements over the next 2 years that will further increase its ability to identify beneficiaries who should undergo a full CDR. Also, SSA has plans to conduct over 8 million CDRs between FY 1996 and 2002, which is twice as many CDRs as the agency has conducted over the past 20 years combined. However, SSA continues to have a backlog of about 4.3 million CDRs due or overdue for review. In addition, the agency has new CDR requirements imposed by the recent Welfare Reform Act (Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996). For example, the law requires SSA to do full CDRs on all children on the SSI program every three years. GAO will monitor SSA's future progress in this regard as part of ongoing and future work.