In a report, The Social Security Administration’s Progress in Reducing the Initial Disability Claims Backlog released on April 28, 2014, the Office of the Inspector General (“OIG”) examined the Social Security Administration’s (“SSA”) efforts to reduce its initial disability claims backlog. The OIG found that the SSA has failed to reduce its backlog to projected goals and recommended that the SSA create new goals and try to implement them.
As background, the SSA in November 2010 released a report on its strategy to reduce initial disability claims. They outlined a four part plan: (1) increase staffing at Disability Determination Services (“DDS”), (2) improve efficiency through automation; (3) expand the use of screening tools to streamline claims likely to be allowed, and (4) refine policies and business processes to expedite cases.
