January 5, 2016

2015 Nationwide SSDI Awards Lowest Since 2002

It’s been 13 years since the number of claimants allowed for SSDI benefits was as low as 2015.

The Social Security Administration received 2.4 million applications this year and issued new benefits to 775,739 claimants. The number of people allowed has been more than 800,000 for 10 years in a row—until this year.

This year compares to 2002—when 750,464 claims were awarded. That year less than 1.7 million applications were filed, which is 43 percent smaller, and about 10 million fewer workers were insured for SSDI.

The Social Security Advisory Board released a report earlier this year about a “regime shift in the SSDI adjudication process” affecting people with disabilities who claim benefits through their work history.

The authors of the report point to an “unusually steep and prolonged decline in SSDI allowance rates since 2000,” and also indicate the number of people receiving benefits is likely to decline further.

Steve Perrigo
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Steve Perrigo

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