Commentary: This week, Congressman Pearce issued a letter to Carolyn Colvin, Acting Commissioner for the Social Security Administration, expressing deep concerns regarding the current disability claims process within the Office of Disability Adjudication and Review (ODAR):
“When it came to my attention that the appeals process within ODAR can take up to 500 days, I was extremely frustrated. I immediately thought of the many people in New Mexico who have had their conditions worsened due to this inefficient process. It is the responsibility of this agency to serve those in need as quickly and fairly as possible. Unfortunately, ODAR does not seem to have any problem making people wait 500 days for their appeal process. This is unacceptable. My letter is demanding answers that hopefully will lead to a corrective plan of action that will ensure disability appeals are processed in a timely matter,” said Congressman Pearce.