WASHINGTON POST: "Social Security offices critical to disability benefits hit breaking point"

The Washington Post cites state-based Social Security offices have seen an increase in applications since the beginning of the pandemic -- at the same time that offices experienced shut-downs, forcing higher work loads on disability examiners who have been without resources needed to process claims effectively.

​"A former examiner in Florida, explaining why he quit in September after 12 years, described the job this way: 'It was all about the numbers. It was the sheer amount of work. We didn’t care if you were denied or approved, we just wanted the cases out.'"

Average processing time for initial claims has increased by 88% since 2019