The Social Security Administration’s budget hasn’t changed since 2011, but today there are millions more people receiving disability or retirement benefits than there were 6 years ago. Additionally, long waits for disability hearings, and the appeals that often follow, can leave the lives of applicants at risk. This Seattle Times article provides insight into why this waiting game is so dangerous for applicants as well as what changes the Social Security Administration is working on implementing in an effort to improve the efficiency of the disability application process as a whole.