Social Security Commissioner Michael Astrue told Congress that the backlog in disability claims will continue if Congress keeps cutting back on the agency’s budget. Disability claims have risen with the recession, and a higher number of people claiming mental illness.The Senate Finance Committee heard from the Social Security Commissioner Thursday.
Last month, members of the Social Security and Medicare Boards of Trustees released a report on the fiscal condition of Social Security and Medicare. The report showed that the Social Security fund will run out by 2033, three years sooner than earlier projections. The major reasons, according to economic analysts, is due to the aging baby boomers, the recession and slower economic growth.