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Washington, D.C. — The National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) today strongly supported the bipartisan call, in a letter from 54 members of the Senate, for inclusion in a possible omnibus appropriations bill language that would provide additional funding for the Social Security Administration (SSA) to address an enormous backlog of some 750,000 disability claims.

“It is vitally important that the additional $150 million in SSA funding for this critical purpose contained in the Labor, Health and Human Services Appropriations bill be included in any new appropriations measure,” said NTEU President Colleen M. Kelley. “That 54 senators signed a letter to that effect is clear evidence of the need and support.”

The bipartisan letter was sent to Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), chairman of the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations Subcommittee, and Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), the subcommittee’s ranking member.

It said that it presently can take as long as four years for an applicant for Social Security disability benefits to have his or her claim decided. “During these long waiting periods,” the senators wrote, “these disabled applicants have no earnings,” which causes an “enormous financial strain on them and their families.”

Some claimants, the letter said, “have even had their houses foreclosed on by lenders or been evicted from their lodgings. Some of these applicants have become homeless. Some have lost custody of their children. Some have even died while waiting for their benefits.”

“It is simply not acceptable that disabled applicants must wait so long for their claims to be heard,” said President Kelley. “It is imperative for this funding to be included in the final spending bill.”

The primary reason for the delay, the letter said, is the “huge backlog of applications and appeals,” currently put at some 750,000 appeals for hearings before administrative law judges. The senators blamed the backlog on “insufficient administrative funds to hire (SSA) staff.”

The SSA administrative funding level of $9.872 billion includes the $150 million increase adopted this fall by a Senate vote of 88 to 6 on an amendment offered by Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) and Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine).

While this funding will prevent the backlog from getting worse, Kelley said, NTEU is committed to working toward improved funding to ensure that American with disabilities receive the insurance payments they have earned.