By Shaina Cole | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice
When my mom applied for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) in the ‘90s, it was a grueling multi-year ordeal that left her feeling invisible. She was sick, unable to work, and the wait for help stretched across years, each one heavier than the last.
Now, a loved one who applied for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) in August 2024 is still waiting for an initial decision, caught in the same slow grind. The SSDI system, meant to be a lifeline, feels like a treadmill you can’t step off—exhausting, endless, and indifferent to the people it’s supposed to lift up.
The numbers paint a stark picture.
On average, it takes about 7.5 months—roughly 225 days—to get a decision on an initial SSDI application, according to the Social Security Administration’s 2022 data (SSA, 2022).
In Colorado, where we live, it’s often closer to 7.3 months, sometimes longer.
But the real blow? Only about 35% of claims are approved at this stage nationwide, and in Colorado, it’s around 39%, per the National Council on Aging (NCOA, 2025).
My loved one’s been waiting over eight months now, and there’s no end in sight. For everyone else who gets denied, it’s a rejection letter and a ticket to an even longer fight.
If you’re denied, the road gets steeper. Reconsideration can add another 7 months, and appealing to an administrative law judge often means 12 to 18 months just for a hearing, based on the SSA’s Office of Hearings Operations (SSA Appeals, 2025).
For so many in Colorado, this means 2 to 3 years of waiting—years spent unable to work, watching life unravel. My mom’s years-long battle with SSI felt like a slow unraveling, every bill a reminder of what she couldn’t control. My loved one’s SSDI wait is already eating away at their hope, and it’s barely begun.
The financial toll is relentless. Every month without benefits pushes people closer to the edge. Rent or groceries? Medicine or electricity? These are choices no one should face, but they’re the reality for families waiting on SSDI.
It’s not just inconvenience—it’s the difference between a home and eviction, between managing a condition and watching it worsen. For my mom, it meant leaning on family just to eat. My loved one’s savings are gone now, and the stress is a constant shadow.
It’s worse without healthcare. In places like Tennessee, Medicaid is a narrow gate—most adults don’t qualify unless they’ve got kids who do or face something specific like breast cancer, per Tennessee’s TennCare program (TennCare, 2025).
Without insurance, getting medical records to prove your disability is like chasing a ghost.
My loved one’s been scraping together doctor’s notes, but every visit costs money they don’t have. It’s a cruel loop: the system demands proof but blocks you from getting it.
The SSA’s strict rules are part of the problem. They’re meant to ensure only the “right” people get benefits, but they trip people up over typos, missing forms, or technicalities.
These denials clog the appeals process, creating a backlog that buries everyone. The SSA’s gotten more funding, but staffing shortages and outdated systems keep things stuck, according to their own fact sheets (SSA Facts, 2025).
It’s like patching a sinking ship with tape.
For so many, this wait means living in fear—of losing your home, of medical emergencies you can’t afford, of a system that seems to doubt your pain.
My mom used to say those years fighting for SSI stole her dignity. My loved one’s SSDI wait is stealing their peace now, and it’s hard to watch.
Some don’t make it through—people lose everything, fall into homelessness, or see their health collapse while waiting for help that’s too late. The SSDI system, built to lift people up, is letting them fall.
This isn’t just broken—it’s wrong. We need action now:
- Hire More Staff: The SSA needs to fill its gaps, especially in places like Colorado where waits are long. More people in Disability Determination Services could clear cases faster.
- Make Applications Easier: Simplify forms, help people get medical records, and use tech to speed things up. Fewer mistakes mean fewer denials.
- Give People Advocates: Free legal or advocacy support could help folks like my loved one build stronger cases, cutting down on appeals.
- Fix the Rules: Keep standards fair but don’t punish people for small errors. Compassion shouldn’t be a luxury.
The SSDI system isn’t just slow—it’s failing people like my mom, my loved one, and millions more.
Every day of delay frays someone’s life a little more. This isn’t about red tape; it’s about humanity. For those waiting, like my family has, change can’t come soon enough.
Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in commentary pieces are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the management of the Rocky Mountain Voice, but even so we support the constitutional right of the author to express those opinions.