Social Security clogged with disability claims

MATT SEDENSKY Associated Press Writer TAMPA, Fla.

For all the talk of an impending crisis in Social Security, one already exists: The system is clogged with hundreds of thousands of disputed disability claims, a backlog so big that some people wait years for a hearing. Social Security officials blame underfunding, understaffing, a dramatic rise in cases and an increasing number of claims involving hard-toprove ailments, such as back pain, depression and anxiety. Even with a $500 million infusion from the federal stimulus program, it could take years to clear the backlog. In the meantime, many...