General Statistics on Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)
and Allsup

 

• More than 2.5 million disability applications¹ are made each year to the Social Security Administration (SSA).

• In 2008, there are an estimated 519,000 cases pending² at the initial application level¹, 102,990 cases pending³ at the reconsideration level, 765,000 cases pending⁴ at the hearing level and 53,852 cases pending at the Appeals Council.⁵ The total pending cases exceeded 1.4 million.

• As of Dec. 31, 2008, there were 7.4 million disabled workers collecting SSDI.⁶

• In 2008, the SSA estimates the average time to receive an award at the hearing level of the SSDI process was 535 days⁷, an increase from 512 days in 2007.⁸

• The average time spent at the hearing level for a person that Allsup represented was 363 days.

• According to the SSA, 35 percent of initial SSDI applications are awarded.⁹  

• Allsup secures awards for 49 percent of initial SSDI applicants currently using Allsup's services.

• Allsup has secured more than $1.5 billion in benefits for more than 110,000 people with disabilities with a 98 percent success rate*.

• According to the SSA, 69 percent of private-sector workers do not have long-term disability insurance.¹⁰

• Between 2005 and 2007, more than 2,000 SSA field office employees left the work force.¹¹  In 2008, SSA staffing will fall below 60,000, which is nearly 20,000 fewer workers than in the 1980s.¹²

• The SSA expects 44 percent of its work force to retire by 2016.¹³

• In 2008, SSDI premiums are 0.9 percent of your income up to $102,000.¹⁴

• SSDI benefit amounts were raised by 5.8 percent in January 2009 due to cost-of-living increases.¹⁵ The average monthly benefit for disabled workers as of Dec. 31, 2008, was $1,064.¹⁶

• In 2008, the Disability Trust Fund expects an estimated $111.6 billion in contributions and estimated disbursements of $107.9 billion.¹⁷

 

 

• 1 - Nov. 7, 2007; SSA’s Performance and Accountability Report for Fiscal Year (FY) 2007; Executive Summary of Agency Performance. Source link: http://www.ssa.gov/finance/index.html. PDF link: http://www.ssa.gov/finance/2007/Executive_Summary.pdf.
• 2 – February 28, 2008; Social Security Administration; Justification of Estimates for Appropriations Committees-Fiscal Year 2009, pg. 6. Source link: http://www.ssa.gov/budget/. PDF link: http://www.ssa.gov/budget/2009cjapp.pdf.
• 3 – Social Security Administration press office/Mark Lassiter; via e-mail Jan. 22, 2008.
• 4 – Sept. 9, 2008; Ways and Means Committee-Subcommittee on Social Security release by Michael R. McNulty, chairman. Hearing notification on “Performance of Social Security Administration Appeals Hearing Offices.” Source link: http://waysandmeans.house.gov/hearings.asp?formmode=view&id=7374.
• 5 – Source (3).
• 6 – 2008 Social Security Beneficiaries Statistics: http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/STATS/DIbenies.html
• 7 – February 28, 2008; SSA; Justification of Estimates for Appropriations Committees-Fiscal Year 2009, pg. 6. Source link: http://www.ssa.gov/budget/. PDF link: http://www.ssa.gov/budget/2009cjapp.pdf.
• 8 – Nov. 7, 2007; SSA’s Performance and Accountability Report for Fiscal Year (FY) 2007; Executive Summary of Agency Performance. Source link: http://www.ssa.gov/finance/index.html. PDF link: http://www.socialsecurity.gov/finance/2007/Agency_Performance.pdf
• 9 – 11 – December 2007; Disability Determinations and Appeals Fiscal Year 2007; Office of Disability Programs. Available from Allsup: http://www.ssa.gov/pressoffice/basicfact.htm. PDF link: http://www.ssa.gov/pressoffice/factsheets/basicfact-alt.pdf.
• 10 – June 2008; Social Security Basic Facts. Source link:
• 11 – May 8, 2008; U.S. Government Accountability Office; Social Security Administration Field Offices: Reduced Workforce Faces Challenges as Baby Boomers Retire. Source link: http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-08-737T. PDF link: http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d08737t.pdf.
• 12 – January 2008; National Council of Social Security Management Associations; FrontLine (Issue 20); page 5. Source link: http://www.ncssma.org/Frontline/frontline.htm. PDF link: http://www.ncssma.org/Frontline/FRONTLINE 20 012008 PDF.pdf.
• 13 – Source (11).
• 14 – September 2008; SSA; Fast Facts & Figures About Social Security, 2008; SSA Publication No. 13-11785. Source link: http://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/chartbooks/fast_facts/. PDF link: http://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/chartbooks/fast_facts/2008/fast_facts08.pdf.
• 15 – Source (14).
• 16 – Source (14).
• 17 – Source (14).

*98 percent of the people who complete the SSDI process with Allsup receive awards.