Disability Determination Service’s 21 Percent Productivity Decrease and 81 Percent Increase in Processing Times Coincided with the Loss of Key Technical Staff

From FY 2019 to FY 2023, Disability Determinations Services (DDS) productivity, measured as Production Per Work Year, decreased by 21 percent, and average processing time increased by 81 percent from 121 to 219 days. The lower productivity and increase in processing times coincided with the loss of key technical staff, including disability examiners who evaluate disability claims and make disability determinations in accordance with laws, regulations, policies, and procedures governing Social Security Administration (SSA) disability programs.

The lower productivity and increase in processing times resulted in a 15-percent reduction in disability determinations, from 2.2 to 1.9 million and a 96‑percent increase in the number of pending determinations.

The rate DDS full-time disability examiners separated each FY, measured as attrition rate, ranged from 13 to 25 percent, for an average of 19 percent. The overall average attrition rate for total DDS staff during this time was 13 percent. The complexity of the disability examiner position makes losing experienced staff detrimental to a DDS as it results in a significant loss of institutional knowledge.

When a claimant meets the non-disability criteria to be eligible for Social Security or Supplemental Security Income disability benefits, SSA forwards the claim to the DDS with jurisdiction to develop medical evidence and determine whether a claimant is disabled or blind under the law. There are DDSs in each of the 50 states; the District of Columbia; and Puerto Rico. DDSs are state-run, and the Government provides funding through SSA to support their operations. Therefore, DDS employees are not SSA employees. States provide DDSs with sufficient qualified personnel to ensure disability determinations are made accurately and promptly, while SSA provides the funding to cover DDS costs, including staff salaries, office expenses, and other operational expenses.    

The 10 states with the highest average processing time for initial disability claims during FY 2019 through 2023, ranging from 189.8 to 216.5 days, included:

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