BEAUMONT, Texas — Social security disability application wait times are seeing major delays.
For Southeast Texans experiencing those delays, the American Association of Retired Persons believe this could mean the Social Security Administration is struggling with a lack of funding and staffing.
The AARP said some people who are calling the "1-800" number have had to wait for up to 31 minutes. The issues are causing stress for applicants and beneficiaries, as many may never see their benefits if the problems are not resolved.
Congress will have an opportunity to fix the problem by providing enough social security to continue full operations by October 1, 2022. A full staff means more support so that wait times on decisions over the phone can decrease.
"It's also the shortage of labor that we are now in the midst of with the economy," John McCollough, economics professor at Lamar University, said. "And so employers got to attract workers an they got to pay higher and higher prices."
McCollough believes it's going to take some work to get the economy where it needs to be.
The Senior Citizens League said the Social Security Administration is expected to announce the cost of living adjustments on October 13th.
The league also said that the cost of living adjustment of 8.7% would increase the average retiree benefit of more than 1,600 by a little more than $140.
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