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Administrative Law Keyed to Schwartz
Heckler v. Day
Citation:
467 U.S. 104 (1984)Facts
The Social Security Administration processes approximately two million disability claims annually under Titles II and XVI, with over 320,000 claims heard by about 800 administrative law judges each year. The process involves four steps: initial determination by a state agency, reconsideration upon request, hearing before an ALJ, and appeal to the Appeals Council. Leon Day waited 167 days for a reconsideration determination and 173 days for a hearing after his benefits were terminated. Amedie Maurais waited 215 days for reconsideration and 65 days for a hearing. The District Court found that in 27 of 77 randomly selected cases, reconsideration determinations took longer than 90 days due to agency inefficiencies. The court ordered the Secretary to complete reconsiderations within 90 days and provide hearings within 90 days of request, with exceptions for certain circumstances. It also ordered payment of interim benefits for noncompliance.
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