According to Social Security Commissioner Martin O’Malley, nearly 30,000 Americans passed away last year while awaiting decisions on their Social Security benefits. During testimony before the Senate Budget Committee, O’Malley emphasized the urgent need for faster decision-making processes across the Social Security Administration (SSA).
O’Malley acknowledged that while the figure represents a “small percentage” of those waiting for decisions, it highlights the critical need for improvements in processing times. The SSA is currently experiencing unprecedented demand as record numbers of Baby Boomers retire and seek monthly benefits.
This surge in demand, combined with a backlog of disability claims, has led to thousands of individuals dying before receiving any response regarding their Social Security applications.
“The Social Security disability process is one area where the consequences of systemic failures can be truly devastating,” said Michael Ryan, a finance expert and founder of michaelryanmoney.com. He described the 30,000 deaths as a “tragic failure of a system designed to protect our most vulnerable citizens.”
On average, applicants for disability benefits must wait approximately eight months for an initial decision from the SSA. If an appeal is necessary, that process can take an additional eight months. O’Malley noted that in some states, wait times can exceed a year.
He pointed out that the gap between increasing numbers of beneficiaries and decreasing customer service staff will only worsen without intervention. “In fact, SSA’s Chief Actuary projects that the number of new applicants and total beneficiaries we serve will only continue to rise in the coming years,” he added.
More than 70 million Americans rely on Social Security benefits each month. However, due to significantly reduced staffing levels, many are left waiting months for assistance. “Imagine trying to serve more customers with half the staff—talk about a recipe for disaster,” Ryan remarked. He shared a personal story about a friend diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer who was denied benefits despite qualifying under the SSA’s compassionate allowance program.
Ryan emphasized that the delays extend beyond financial hardship; they also prevent individuals from accessing essential medical care. “For many, the stress and deterioration of health while waiting can be a death sentence in itself,” he stated.
Between 2017 and 2023, phone wait times for Social Security beneficiaries nearly tripled. For initial disability decisions specifically, wait times have doubled, with some disabled Americans routinely waiting over a year for determinations.
“We cannot sugar-coat the severe damage that decades of staff reductions have done to Social Security’s customers,” O’Malley told lawmakers.
The staffing cuts are occurring alongside ongoing underfunding of the SSA. Despite facing around $600 million in fixed cost increases, O’Malley reported that the agency’s budget has remained relatively unchanged since 2018.
For 2025, President Joe Biden has requested $15.4 billion to help address the staffing crisis and reduce wait times nationwide. O’Malley indicated that if approved, this funding could decrease phone wait times by over 20 minutes and reduce claims backlogs by 15 percent.
Additionally, improved funding would lead to fewer over- or underpayment errors for recipients—issues that can sometimes force individuals to repay thousands to the agency through no fault of their own.
Ryan called for a comprehensive overhaul of Social Security disability insurance to address existing challenges faced by disabled and low-income Americans. “This means not just throwing money at the problem—though increased funding is crucial,” he said. “We need to streamline processes, eliminate redundant steps, and put more trust in the assessments of treating physicians.”
Beene echoed this sentiment, stating that the deaths of nearly 30,000 individuals awaiting decisions serve as a “call to action” for reform within Social Security.