The Federal government announced its
plan to hire new Administrative Law Judges (“ALJs”) for its various agencies,
including the Social Security Administration (“SSA”). The ALJ application
process opened on March 29, 2016 and closed on April 8, 2016. During this
limited application window, applicants who met the minimum hiring requirements
were able to submit applications and resumes in hopes of being selected to go
through the ALJ examination process. If selected, applicants will be subjected to
various tests, including an online examination, a proctored component and an
interview. Applicants can be eliminated at any time. Applicants who make it
through all rounds will then be issued a score and will be eligible to have
their names added to the current ALJ register. Agencies looking to hire new
ALJs will select their candidates from this register.
SSA desperately needs new ALJs to
oversee its Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income
hearings (“SSDI/SSI”). According to a Freedom of Information Act report from March
9, 2016, claimants have to wait an estimated 502 days to get a hearing in front
of an ALJ. While this number represents the national average, some claimants in
the most backlogged jurisdictions are waiting even longer to appear in front of
an ALJ. Keep in mind that this 502 day average only addresses the hearing timeframes
and doesn’t take into account the additional 9 to 18 months that a claimant
must endure at the initial application and reconsideration levels as well.
The timeframes associated with the
SSDI/SSI process are devastating to the millions of claimants who suffer from
disabilities that prevent them from working. Such delays can be ruinous to
families who are desperate to receive SSDI/SSI benefits in order to put food on
their tables, secure shelter and access medical care. Bankruptcies and
homelessness are just some of the challenges that claimants applying for
SSDI/SSI may face. Thus, news that some new ALJs will be hired in the near
future to relieve SSA’s backlog was welcomed by SSDI/SSI claimants everywhere.
SSA is hoping to find new ways to
improve the timeframes associated with the disability claims process. Simply
hiring new ALJs is not enough, but it is at least a start. We will update you
when we learn how many new ALJs get hired on by SSA at the completion of
application process.
Got a question about SSDI or SSI that you
need us to answer? Please check out our website at www.westcoastdisability.com . We try to
provide you with helpful information on our website that will allow you to successfully
navigate the Social Security Disability process. Also, feel free to email me
your questions at megan@westcoastdisability.com or call me at (800)
459-3017 x 103.
