Social Security Judges Sue Social Security

A lawsuit was filed by the Association of Administrative Law Judges  and three judges on Thursday in federal court in Chicago which names the agency and Acting Social Security Commissioner Carolyn Colvin. The complaint alleges: 

"The review and adjudication of disability claims by the Social Security Administration (“SSA” or “Agency”) is a system in crisis. The United States Supreme Court has recognized that the SSA disability hearing system is “probably the largest adjudicative agency in the world.” Approximately 3.3 million disability claims are filed each year, a 57% increase since 1990. Over the last five years, SSA disability workloads have grown significantly due to, among other factors, an aging Baby Boomer population reaching their disability-prone years and the Great Recession of 2008 with its lingering high unemployment. Congress has responded to these demographics by making matters worse. As the most recent SSA Commissioner finally conceded on his departure in February 2013, the SSA has simply not gotten the necessary resources from Congress to address this rising number of disability claims. The chronic lack of resources has had a multiplier effect on the time required to resolve claims, with disability claimants being forced to wait a year or longer for their claims to be decided."