ODAR Delays Shrink?
January 21, 2010
Author: Catherine M. Callery (Kate)| Louise M. Tarantino
Recent editions of the Disability Law News have reported on ODAR (Office of Disability Adjudication and Review) average processing times from hearing request to decision. Statistics for the month ending October 30, 2009, are listed below. The numbers in parentheses are the rankings and processing times for the period ending September 2009. The “rank” represents the office’s position among the 142 ODARs nationwide, ranging from shortest (1) to longest (142) processing time.
|
RANK |
ODAR |
DAYS |
| 2 (3) |
Brooklyn |
268 (294) |
| 24 (33) | Jericho | 354 (386) |
| 59 (85) | Queens | 421 (478) |
| 75 (58) | White Plains | 452 (435) |
| 84 (88) | Albany | 466 (487) |
| 85 (**) | Rochester | 468 (***) |
| 97 (91) | New York | 475 (490) |
| 125 (123) | Bronx | 557 (605) |
| 131 (122) | Buffalo | 573 (593) |
| 133 (130) | Syracuse | 576 (629) |
**Note that Rochester appears as an independent ODAR separate from Buffalo for the first time in these ranking.
While the backlog is slowly being whittled away at ODAR, advocates fear that the floodgates from the DDSs (Disability Determination Services) are about to open. Nationally, the number of applications being filed has increased by 38.8%. If applications continue to climb at the same rate, DDS receipts could hit over 1,000,000 by the end of FY 2010. Not surprisingly, processing times at the initial levels are slowing down. Exacerbating the problem at some DDSs are furloughs of state workers, despite pleas from Vice-President Biden and SSA Commissioner Astrue to exempt DDS workers. In California, SSA has gone so far as to file a “Statement of Interest” in a lawsuit against Governor Schwarzenegger by a union that includes DSS workers.
To see how the American Bar Association is pitching in to help diminish the backlog, go to http://www.abajournal.com/magazine/bucking_a_backlog/
Copyright © Empire Justice Center. All rights reserved. Articles may be reprinted only with permission of the authors.
