United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office Human Resources Division author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 1993-11-10 monographic deposited born digital GA 1.13:HRD-94-11 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-HRD-94-11 P0b002ee1803976b2 f:hd94011 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-23 GAOREPORTS-HRD-94-11 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-HRD-94-11 HRD-94-11 Social security benefits Disability insurance State-administered programs Disability benefits Productivity Compensation claims Claims processing Eligibility determinations Supplemental security income program Computerized information systems Social Security Program Social Security Disability Insurance Program Chapter Report HRD The administration of the Social Security Administration's (SSA) disability programs has reached a crisis stage; service is poor and billions of dollars in payments will end up going to ineligible persons unless mandated continuing disability reviews are resumed. Claim backlogs and processing times for SSA's disability insurance and supplemental security income programs hit an all-time high in fiscal year 1992. The two programs have been unable to keep up with the high rate of claims for benefits, a trend that has continued into fiscal year 1993. Processing times have increased nearly 50 percent in recent years, and some states take more than five months to process claims. SSA has undertaken many short-term initiatives to keep up with claims--most significantly, the funding of overtime for disability determination services. According to administrators, staff are overworked and overtime is at record levels. SSA has also diverted staff from doing continuing disability reviews to processing initial claims. As a result, many ineligible persons are receiving program benefits at a cost of at least $1.4 billion. These short-term initiatives have only slightly reduced pending claims and processing times. SSA also has several long-term initiatives under way to improve its disability programs; exactly how, when, and to what extent these initiatives will improve service is unknown at this point, however. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-HRD-94-11/html/GAOREPORTS-HRD-94-11.htm GAO/HRD-94-11 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-HRD-94-11 Chapter Report GAO/HRD-94-11; Social Security: Increasing Number of Disability Claims and Deteriorating Service; Social security benefits Disability insurance State-administered programs Disability benefits Productivity Compensation claims Claims processing Eligibility determinations Supplemental security income program Computerized information systems Social Security Program Social Security Disability Insurance Program