New Issue Brief: SSA's Failure to Process SSI Appeals Requests

A new issue brief from the National Senior Citizens Law Center says that the Social Security Administration needs a uniform system in place to input and track appeals by Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients and to ensure that all requests for reconsideration are logged in upon receipt in a district office. It provides an overview of how those who have a legitimate basis for challenging benefit suspensions and reductions.

In practice, SSI recipients too often face roadblocks at reconsideration, the first stage of the appeal process. One reason is that SSA does not have a uniform system for logging in and tracking these appeals.

SSA's failure to process appeal requests can leave SSI recipients without the subsistence income they rely on to pay for food, housing and medical care.