A number of factors have caused the number of people applying for Social Security Disability benefits to spike in recent years. As of Dec. 28, there were about 3.3 million people seeking benefits in 2011. Unfortunately, the large number of applicants has created a serious backlog at the Social Security Administration, leaving thousands of sick and disabled people waiting to see if they will get the financial help they need. At the end of September, 771,318 cases were backlogged, a record for the agency.

While some of the applications may have borderline claims, too often a person left unable to work due to a serious or terminal illness never gets the benefits to which he or she is entitled. A recent article in the Wall Street Journal presents a sad example of this phenomenon.

The applicant, who worked as a mason, first applied for SSD benefits in February 2009 after being diagnosed with terminal colon cancer. His application was denied, as was his first appeal due to allegedly incomplete medical records.

He hired a Legal Aid attorney to help, but time was not on his side. As his appeal wound slowly through the system and the SSA demanded more information about whether he was able to work, he was lying in a hospital bed. He learned in September 2010 that his cancer had reached stage four and he was almost out of money.

Finally, the SSA approved his benefits, but it was too late. The man had died nine days before his appeal was granted. A letter meant to inform him of the reversal arrived the day of his funeral.

Source: Social Security Disability for Illness, "Growing Case Backlog Leaves the Terminally Ill Waiting," Damian Paletta and Dionne Searcey, Dec. 28, 2011