Historic wait times for social security benefits are impacting thousands, including a River Forest man, who waited nearly 10 months to receive his social security benefits.
Less than a day into its investigation, NBC 5 Responds got answers and helped him recover more than $18,000.
The resemblance takes a moment to spot, but Clare and Charlie O'Connor of River Forest are twins. Charlie came into the world with several complications.
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"He has cerebral palsy, which is completely separate from his developmental delay," said Clare.
Charlie is largely independent but attends an adult day center and needs help cooking meals.
Clare became Charlie’s guardian last year after both their mother and father passed away.
"It's like a lot to take care of in a rough situation," said Clare.
Clare took comfort in the fact that her brother would be taken care of financially. He had been receiving social security benefits every month, ever since his parents retired a few years ago.
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"It was always like a comfort," said Clare.
But less than a month after their mother’s death last April, Clare was notified that Charlie’s benefits would be suspended immediately.
"Essentially, they're saying they don't want [the benefits] to, I think, go into an account that's no longer being managed," said Clare.
Clare was told to apply to be Charlie's "payee."
She immediately filed paperwork to let the Social Security Administration know she was now Charlie's guardian, but the benefits never restarted.
"In [those] eight months, we had to pay property taxes. Not having an additional monthly stipend to pay for stuff like that was hard. And … I was definitely a little nervous," said Clare, who lived in an apartment prior to becoming Charlie’s guardian and moving into her mother's River Forest home.
While fighting for his benefits, Clare discovered Charlie’s Medicare payments had also been suspended without notice.
"That's scary to think about because I'm sure, especially living in the United States, people who need health care, all of a sudden, you're gonna get stuck with a massive bill," said Clare.
Clare said everyone she contacted over the phone and in person at the Hillside Social Security Administration office told her something different.
"They would say, 'Oh, yeah, [it will be processed] 90 days after we've received your application.' That was in perhaps October, November. And in November, I finally called, I got through to someone in Springfield. And they're like, 'Oh, no, seven-month delay,’” said Clare.
That’s when Clare contacted NBC 5 Responds.
NBC 5 Responds looked into her case and found Clare and Charlie weren’t alone. According to federal data and the AARP, the average wait time to get an initial decision on a disability benefit claim from the Social Security Administration went up from 110 days in 2016 to 225 days this year.
"It's frustrating, because there's not a lot you can do," said Clare.
NBC 5 Responds reached out to the Social Security Administration, and a representative told us the delays were caused by "inconsistent funding, insufficient funding" and their "lowest staffing level in over 25 years."
Within days of NBC 5 Responds contacting the Social Security Administration, Clare got a phone call from a SSA spokesperson.
"He apologized for the delay," said Clare.
Within a few days, Charlie’s benefits of more than $18 ,000 were finally in his account.
"It was like such a weight off my shoulders. I couldn't believe it. When I saw it, it was very relieving. I don't think I could have gotten it done without your help," said Clare.
If you need help getting an answer about your claim, a study by the National Bureau of Economic Research shows legal representation early in the process increases the probability of getting a positive decision by 23%.
Full statement from Social Security Administration:
"Thank you for bringing this to our attention, and although we cannot discuss individual cases due to privacy laws, we are actively looking into this issue. Current service status is a culmination of many factors including inconsistent funding, insufficient funding, and staffing shortages. We are laying the foundation for improved customer service by rebuilding our workforce, after ending fiscal year 2022 at our lowest staffing level in over 25 years--driven by years of funding levels below the President’s Budget. However, it will take time and resources for our new hires to become proficient. Service improvement will be a multi-year effort requiring sufficient, sustained funding to reduce wait times and backlogs, especially since each year we serve more beneficiaries.
Contacting Social Security when someone loses a loved one who is receiving benefits is very important. This ensures that we are able to provide information regarding future benefits a person may be entitled to. For more information see our publication at How Social Security Can Help You When a Family Member Dies (ssa.gov). People may contact their local office or call 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Monday through Friday."
