SSA BACKLOG AND CONGRESSIONAL FUNDING

I have been asked about how many claims an ALJ (Administrative Law Judge) disposes of on a regular basis.

Typically, an ALJ will dispose of 2 to 3 cases per day. Notably, Senior Attorneys who assist the ALJs in deciding cases decided 18,625 cases in 2013 but disposed of only 1,872 in 2014. As an outsider, I have no explanation for the drastic drop in performance of 90% but the continuing shortfall in funding of 500 million dollars per year might have something to d with the dramatic backlog that is happening again today much the as as it did in 2000-2007. It is becoming evident that as SSA Acting Commissioner Colvin most recently testified before Congress “Even if the SSA can hire ALJs, it cannot reduce the backlog until 2019”. And that would depend on Congress adequately funding the SSA, which I seriously doubt that it will.