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Social Security: Increasing Number of Disability Claims and Deteriorating Service

HRD-94-11 Published: Nov 10, 1993. Publicly Released: Nov 10, 1993.
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Highlights

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Social Security Administration's (SSA) disability programs, focusing on: (1) state disability determination services' (DDS) operations; and (2) actions taken by SSA to reduce the number of pending claims.

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Health and Human Services The Secretary of Health and Human Services should develop a plan to reduce the backlog of SSA disability benefit claims.
Closed – Implemented
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 FY 2002, which is twice as many CDRs as the agency has conducted over the past 20 years combined.
Department of Health and Human Services The Secretary of Health and Human Services should develop a plan to ensure the performance of CDR to the level necessary to comply with Social Security Act provisions. The recommended plan should be forwarded to Congress and should establish a specific time frame for achieving the SSA stated goal of 60-day claim processing times for its disability programs and identify to what extent, if any, additional staffing and funding may be needed for implementation.
Closed – Implemented
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 FY 2002, which is twice as many CDRs as the agency has conducted over the past 20 years combined.

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Topics

Worker and Family Assistance
Claims processingCompensation claimsDisability benefitsDisability insuranceEligibility determinationsIncome maintenance programsInformation systemsSocial security benefitsState-administered programsSupplemental security income