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2012 Budget request for SSA is critical to providing services

Posted: March 07, 2011

Over the past two years the Obama administration has sought to increase the budget of the Social Security Administration (SSA) to address the backlogs in processing Social Security Disability (SSD) claims. These backlogs began to accumulate over the past eight years, when the agency was underfunded and understaffed. SSA has been further strained by the aging of the baby boomer generation, which has resulted in higher retirement and disability case rates as boomers move into their more disability-prone years.

This year the President has requested a budget of $12.5 billion for the SSA’s administrative expenses. Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security, says this amount will help maintain staff, fund ongoing activities and cover inflation.

“It will allow us to reduce our hearings and disability claims backlogs, and to continue to reverse the declines in our program integrity work,” he said.

“Program integrity” is essentially quality control, where the SSA conducts continuing disability reviews (CDR) to determine if beneficiaries are still disabled; and reviews of the income and financial resources of those on Supplemental Security Income (SSI), to ensure recipients continue to be income-eligible for the program. Program integrity helps the SSA protect taxpayer dollars by reducing improper payments.

Commissioner Astrue says it is critical that the President’s budget for the SSA is fully funded to keep the SSA on track.

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