Earlier this year Congress cut the operating budget of the Social Security Administration (SSA) by approximately $1 billion and the cuts are having widespread impacts. SSA offices around the country began closing their offices 30 minutes earlier in August, and field offices in some rural areas have closed their doors completely. The SSA is also planning to cut 3,500 jobs this year, and another 4,000 job cuts are expected in 2012.
The budget and job cuts are likely to impact social security recipients in ways beyond monetary issues. The job cuts and reduced office hours all means less time and resources for the SSA to process claims, which could result in further delays in social security disability claims processing, as well as reduced access to information for social security disability recipients.
Despite the budget cuts, the SSA increased the annual Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) by 3.6% for the overall social security disability benefits. The average increase in benefits, however, is just under $40 per month per recipient so social security disability recipients are unlikely to notice much change in their benefits.
The Chicago social security disability attorneys at Ankin Law Offices, LLC are dedicated to helping persons with disabilities and their families obtain social security disability benefits. Our knowledgeable Illinois social security disability attorneys can explain the impact of the SSA budget cuts to you and guide you through the entire nclaim. Contact one of our skilled Chicago social security disability attorneys at (800) 442-6546 to schedule a free consultation to discuss your social security disability claim.