Larson, Davis Support Proposed Rule to Improve Social Security’s Disability Adjudication Process

Washington, D.C. – Today, House Ways and Means Social Security Subcommittee Ranking Member John B. Larson (CT-01) and Worker and Family Support Subcommittee Ranking Member Danny K. Davis (IL-07) sent a letter to Acting Commissioner of Social Security Kilolo Kijakazi in support of the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) proposed rule to improve the disability adjudication process. 

“The Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) disability programs provide vital income for people who can no longer work at a substantial level because of a severe medical condition. Monthly benefits help disabled workers and their families to put food on the table, keep a roof over their heads, pay medical bills, and secure other basics,” said Larson and Davis. “SSA’s proposed rule to shorten the work experience lookback period is a commonsense and long-overdue improvement. Foremost, it will improve fairness and accuracy in disability determinations, by directing SSA to focus on the most current and relevant information about applicants’ past work. This aligns the lookback period with evidence about the pace of change in the modern labor market. It will reduce the burden on vulnerable applicants and also streamline and speed up claims processing at a time when more than one million Americans face historically high delays in the processing of their disability applications. 

“SSA’s ability to make decisions that are both accurate and timely is fundamental to upholding the promise made to disabled workers who contributed to Social Security and now face a time of need. We thank you for your leadership and urge you to swiftly finalize this much-needed proposed rule,” the members concluded. 

To qualify for disability benefits, individuals must have severe, long-lasting impairments which prevent them from doing their past work and from pursuing new lines of work. Under SSA’s current rules, established nearly 50 years ago, applicants must submit extensive evidence documenting their medical impairments and work experience over the last 15 years, also known as the “lookback period.” SSA’s proposed rule, “Intermediate Improvement to the Disability Adjudication Process: Including How We Consider Past Work,” would shorten the work experience lookback period for disability determinations from 15 to five years. 

Full text of Ranking Members Larson and Davis’s letter can be found here.