The Appeals System in Old-Age and Survivors Insurance

EARLY I N 1940, when the appeals system i n old-age and survivors i n surance was established, i t was estimated that f rom 5,000 to 20,000 claimants a year would ask for hearings on their disallowed claims. Actually, however, the number of requests for hearings has averaged slightly less than 1,000 a year, the highest number being 1,307 i n the fiscal year 1944-45. Compared w i t h benefit applications received by the Bureau of Old-Age and Survivors Insurance, requests for hearing arising f rom benefit adjudications w i t h which claimants disagree is almost negligible—not more than one-fifth of 1 percent i n any year and only one-seventh of 1 percent i n 1944-45. Even i n relation to the number of disallowed claims, which have ranged f rom about 6 to nearly 9 percent of a l l claims filed, requests for hearings have never exceeded 3 percent.