The length of time it taking to receive an initial decision on a disability application varies by state, the complexity of the claim and the number of people applying for benefits. But when they apply for Social Security disability for financial relief — money to pay for housing, food and medical bills — they find they are in for a long wait. The field office is responsible for verifying any non-medical eligibility requirements, such as marital status, age, address, employment, or Social Security coverage information. The total decision time for cases at the hearing level includes the time from when a hearing is requested to when the administrative law judge (ALJ) issues an opinion. California is among the best states in the nation for social security disability approval. One West Philadelphia woman with multiple sclerosis, Adrianne Gunter, waited 878 days before getting a … 1. Social Security has been working to eleiminate this backlog by implementing several programs and by opening new hearing offices and hiring more judges, but there is still a significant wait time for claimants. While processing times vary by hearing office, NOSSCR reports that the national wait time for an ALJ hearing is around 600 days. Reconsiderations make take another two months of processing time, while the wait for a hearing date in front of a judge can take more than two years. Thousands stuck on the appeals backlog for Social Security Disability Insurance die waiting. The Office of Disability Adjudication and Review (ODAR) conducts Social Security Disability (SSD) hearings and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) hearings in 7 different offices in Michigan. You may be able to reduce some of the delay by doing things like accurately completing all the required paperwork, responding quickly to any Social Security requests for information, and getting your own medical records together and submitting them early in the process. At the initial stage, a Social Security Disability claim may take an average of just over three months to process. The average in mid-2020 is 13 months. Unfortunately, most states score even worse, with the average wait time nationwide at more than 530 days. Individuals who apply for and are denied Social Security Administration disability benefits can appeal the decision. It can take anywhere from 12 months to 22 months, but while the wait is extreme, the chances of being approved for disability benefits increase dramatically. Social Security Disability Insurance (SSD or SSDI) is a payroll tax-funded federal insurance program of the United States government.It is managed by the Social Security Administration and designed to provide income supplements to people who are physically restricted in their ability to be employed because of a notable disability (usually physical). The average is what generally applies to most claims: An initial disability determination for SSI benefits or Social Security Disability benefits usually takes anywhere from 30 to 120 days. The Social Security Disability application process begins when an application is received by an applicant’s local Social Security Administration (SSA) field office. In my experience, the average waiting time for a decision on the initial application is about 4 months, but this is only an estimate. Average Wait Time Hits 596 Days For Social Security Disability Hearings Across The U.S. Allsup explains nearly 1.1 million claimants are stuck in massive backlog for hearings on Social Security disability benefits As featured by Associated Press: Disability backlog tops 1 million; thousands die on waitlist Belleville, Illinois — August 29, 2017 Currently, in Michigan, the average wait time for a SSI or SSD hearing is 9.5 months. One of the major hurdles in any Social Security disability claim is the wait time that a Claimant is confronted with when pursuing his or her claim. Data from the Social Security Administration shows that in Columbus and Akron, Ohio Congratulations! The total time for cases at the hearing level includes the time from when a hearing is requested to when the administrative law judge (ALJ) makes a decision. The wait time depends on a number of factors. The most effective method for receiving a favorable outcome in a shorter period of time is to request a decision based on the record (OTR). There are four levels of appeals in SSI and SSDI cases: Reconsideration, Administrative Law Judge Hearing, Appeals Council Review, and Federal Court. However, this figure, they stress, is dependent on a number of factors. It can take years to get a final decision on your application for Social Security disability benefits. The average wait times for getting a case heard before an ALJ range from ten to twenty-three months, ... but the average time for this level of review is 345 days from the time the claim is received. According to the Social Security Administration (SSA), you typically get an initial decision regarding your disability claim within three to five months of filing. The “3 to 5 Months” Wait Time, and Why It’s Disappointing. When applying for Social Security Disability, patience is the key. The average wait in Wisconsin is 569 days. The average wait time in Columbus, Ohio was 19 months. Total decision times currently range from eight months (San Antonio, TX) to 22 months (Long Island, NY). In our experience the average waiting time for a decision on the initial disability application is five months. More than 43,000 applicants await a Social Security Disability hearing in Massachusetts, where a backlog of 10,000 cases has created an average wait of more than 450 days for a court hearing, according to the most recent statistics. Currently (in 2018), there are about 986,000 hearing pending with an average wait time of 596 days. Alabama is in Region IV, where the average wait time to get a hearing is 421 days. The Social Security Administration will only send Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income applicants to a consultative examination if they do not have enough medical evidence to determine from the claimant s own medical records that they are disabled, the treating doctors failed to send the claimant s medical records or the claimant has not seen the right doctor. I received a bench decision for SSDI recently out of Long Beach, CA and was wondering if anyone local could tell me the time frames to look at. I've called SSA and they say 60-120 days but I thought it would go through faster with a bench decision. In Colorado, the average time it takes to process an initial application for disability averages about 73 days in Colorado, and appeals can add extra months to the process. After your hearing, the average wait time to a decision is 77 days. This article answers some of the questions you may have after receiving a favorable Social Security disability decision in your claim for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits or Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Timeline for Initial Social Security Disability Application Level . The increased wait times are crippling those who are unable to work during the time they are waiting for their Social Security Disability hearing decision. Unfortunately, the Social Security disability appeals process often takes a long time, from several months to well over a year, depending on how far you have to go up the appeals chain. Also, my atty is out of state so he is giving me the "average". I believe Social Security's goal is to reduce the overall backlog of cases at hearing by taking steps to reduce the waiting times at the worst ranked hearing offices which in turn will hopefully bring down the national average wait time at the hearing stage which was averaging 365 days in 2/11. The national average wait time hit an all-time high in 2017, ringing in at 19.5 months on average an individual had to wait for a social security hearing. We’ll break down the timelines, expectations, and what-if scenarios of the Social Security Disability (SSD) application process. Average Wait Time Until Hearing Held Report (For the Month of October 2020) A presentation of the average time (in months) from the hearing request date until a hearing was held for cases closed in the Office of Hearings Operations' hearing offices or national hearing centers. How is the Wait Times Affecting People. Now what? Applicants with severe disabilities also have the option of expedited claim processing. The SSA will issue a Quick Disability Determination (QDD) after performing a predictive computer analyzation on an electronic claim to determine which individuals can be most easily identified as disabled. One factor is how quickly your medical providers respond to the Social Security Administration (SSA)’s requests for medical records. Average Wait Times: Unfortunately, applying for Social Security disability benefits can be a long and frustrating process. You’ve won your Social Security disability case. Unfortunately, the average wait time for a hearing is long. What is the easiest state to get disability? Approximately 70% of Social Security Disability claims fail on the first attempt. The average waiting time for appellants nationwide to get a decision in their case has hovered around 600 days, but Philadelphia had the longest average wait in the country— 26 months. Americans seeking Social Security disability benefits face massive administrative backlogs and long wait times. The Social Security Administration (SSA) website claims that applicants typically wait three to five months to receive a decision—but how long realistically should you expect to wait? The average case processing time in Michigan is 352 days. The SSA and the Alabama Offices of Disability Adjudication and Review (ODARs) are trying to reduce the backlog of cases, but are making slow progress. This wait time can depend on multiple things. In Kansas, from Sept. 30, 2017, through Aug. 31, 2018, the average processing time of a claim once it reaches the Social Security Administration was 573 … The chart below details each ODAR/hearing office that we regularly represent Claimants before and the average processing time in terms of number of days once a Claimant’s file reaches the ODAR/hearing office to when a decision is made. While not among the top three (these are Hawaii with 67% approval, Utah with 63% approval, and New Mexico with 56% approval), California sees almost half of all claims approved, which is above the national average. Most states score even worse, with the average waiting time for an ALJ hearing is 9.5.... 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