Rep. Veronica Escobar (D) is asking the Social Security Administration's Office of Inspector General to investigate what she and other Texas Democrats describe as sharply increasing wait times for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) applications.
What are lawmakers asking the OIG to investigate?
Rep. Escobar led the Democratic Texas Delegation in requesting an investigation into SSDI processing times in Texas. The letter asks the SSA OIG to examine current processing timelines, staffing levels, responses to congressional inquiries, and the cause of delays.
Lawmakers specifically ask whether processing delays differ between congressional offices and whether responses to Republican and Democratic members receive different turnaround times.
The delegation says constituents in El Paso have reported SSDI processing timelines increasing from roughly six to eight months to 10 to 12 months.
SSA says disability claims are generally sent to state Disability Determination Services for medical determinations. An SSA OIG audit released in 2025 found that average processing time across state disability determination services increased 81% from 121 to 219 days between fiscal years 2019 and 2023, coinciding with a 21% decline in productivity and losses of key technical staff.
What could be causing the delays?
The letter asks the OIG to determine whether delays stem from staffing reductions at SSA, slower disability determinations by Texas Health and Human Services, or other factors.
The letter states: "We are deeply concerned about how these increased wait-times affect Texas families and urge you to conduct an office OIG investigation into the source of these delays."
The request comes as SSA reports that initial determination wait times have recently improved nationally, with decisions arriving 40 days faster than in January 2025.
In addition to Escobar, the letter was signed by Democratic Reps.:
- Julie Johnson
- Lloyd Doggett
- Marc Veasey
- Sylvia Garcia
- Lizzie Fletcher
- Vicente González
- Christian Menefee
- Henry Cuellar
- Al Green
- Joaquin Castro
