Two years ago, The Journal Gazette reported the unconscionably long wait Hoosiers with disabilities had to endure before receiving vital Social Security benefits. At the time, the head of Social Security said his goal was to reduce national wait times to an average of 275 days.

But the picture has not improved in Indiana or elsewhere in the nation, and Social Security Administration leaders are notifying Americans it may get worse.

The national average waiting period for a disability claim to be resolved is 505 days, and an estimated 736,000 Americans are waiting for a ruling on their disability claims. This is a 30 percent increase in the past year.

According to data from Allsup Inc., a company that helps people with disabilities complete the complicated process of pursuing disability benefits, Indiana has two Social Security Disability Insurance hearing offices that are in the top 10 for having the longest backlogs.

The Fort Wayne office came in at ninth worst with an average of 661 days.

The Indianapolis office ranked third worst with a backlog of 690 days. Only Charleston, W.Va., at 696 days and Dayton, Ohio, at 695 days, were doing worse.

Michael Astrue, head of the Social Security Administration, said it’s likely to get much worse very soon and acknowledged the agency is moving backward in efforts to keep up with the flood of disability claims spurred by the recession.

The average monthly check for the 7.4 million Americans who receive benefits is $1,063. A recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that the number of adults reporting a disability increased by 3.4 million between 1999 and 2005.

Social Security officials estimate receiving 3.3 million new disability claims in 2009, an increase of 300,000 claims from 2008 and a 13 percent increase from the number of claims expected.

Social Security is hiring and training additional judges and support staff with the goal of having the claims backlog in hand by 2013.

The people needing disability benefits are a vulnerable population. While it is important to ensure that only those who are truly qualified receive benefits, asking people to wait a year and a half before a ruling creates undue hardship.