Author: Cheryl Coon
I was hopeful when I began reading a recent article in the Washington Post about the horrendous backlog of cases.
Hopeful until I came to this line: Judges complain that saying “yes” is a lot easier — and faster — than saying “no.” A negative decision often requires a lengthier write-up, which goes through all the different ailments that might have rendered this person disabled. That means 10 pages of text to prepare for a future appeal. A “yes” decision is rarely appealed.
I don’t know where that is happening, but it isn’t here in Oregon. First of all, it’s plain wrong. The decisions that are favorable are just as lengthy. What’s more, a favorable decision runs the considerable risk of being “picked up” by the Appeals Council, meaning delay and the potential that a decision a person has waited two years for – can be overturned by a mysterious tribunal in Virginia.
Looks like we’ll have to wait a little longer for a truly accurate article about the experience of being disabled, trying to get benefits.
[We originally linked to a Washington Post article that is no longer available online.]