Sherrod Brown: “many Americans seeking disability benefits under the Social Security Disability Insurance program, more commonly know as…”

“many Americans seeking disability benefits under the Social Security Disability Insurance program, more commonly know as SSDI, face intolerable delays in the processing of their claims. SSDI is a true insurance program. All American workers pay into the program, and any working American who becomes disabled is eligible for assistance. The Social Security disability system has a backlog of more than a half-million cases on appeal. Social Security Commissioner Jo Anne Barnhart testified last year that, on average, it took more than 3 years to complete processing of a disability claim on appeal, from the day it's filed to the day it's finally adjudicated. These delays come with a high cost for the men and women forced to wait. For some, it means exhausting their life savings. Others lose their health insurance coverage, the family car, and even their homes. And as once-proud workers unable to pay their bills are reduced to borrowing from friends and family, some Americans lose even their dignity. These delays have hit home in my Ohio district. One constituent, Bobbi from Sheffield, Ohio--a single mom injured in an auto accident in 2001--exhausted her life savings and was forced onto welfare while she waited. She finally received the support she had earned just last month, after waiting 4 years. Another constituent, Ronald from Elyria, Ohio has a heart condition that left him disabled in 2001, but he had to wait 3 years for benefits.…”