Larson and Davis Applaud Social Security Administration Rule to Improve Disability Adjudication Process

Washington, D.C. - Today, House Ways and Means Social Security Subcommittee Ranking Member John B. Larson (CT-01) and Worker and Family Support Subcommittee Ranking Member Danny K. Davis (IL-07) applauded the Social Security Administration's (SSA) new ruleto improve the disability adjudication process.

"Under the leadership of Commissioner O'Malley, SSA has been focused on improving customer service and reducing delays to ensure Americans receive their hard-earned benefits," said Larson and Davis. "The rule announced today heeds our calls to improve fairness and accuracy in disability determinations by only focusing on the most current information about applicants' past work. This long-overdue change will reduce the burden on vulnerable applicants and streamline claims processing at a time when more than one million Americans have faced lengthy delays preventing them from receiving the benefits they need to make ends meet."

In November, Larson and Davis sent a letterto SSA supporting the proposed rule to make long-overdue improvements to the disability adjudication process, established fifty years ago, by shortening the burdensome lookback requirement for disability applicants to submit extensive evidence documenting their medical impairments and work experience from 15 years to five.