In the twelve-month stretch from October 2022 through September 2023, 30,000 people died while waiting for federal disability determinations, according to Social Security Commissioner Martin O’Malley. Martha asked Harris what she would do as president for people, like herself, who are waiting for disability decisions while in desperate need of health insurance.

Delays in those decisions, driven in part by understaffing and a Covid-related rise in disability rates, have driven the typical wait time from four months in 2019 to seven months today, often coupled with the need to appeal an initial rejection, which can take years. The processing times represent a mounting crisis for the more than 1 million Americans who apply for disability in a given year.

  • Etterra@lemmy.world
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    1 month ago

    That’s because our government, from top to bottom, has a punishment-based attitude when it comes to any and all violations of any rules or laws. And instead of precision strikes, they use flamethrowers.

    • girlfreddy@lemmy.caOP
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      1 month ago

      Problem is the rules aren’t enforced on everyone. Just us peons face the full extent of them.