How Long Before I am Awarded my Social Security Disability Benefits?

Obtaining Social Security benefits can be a long and frustrating process.  The Social Security Administration is experiencing an unprecedented backlog of cases.  As a result, disabled individuals are waiting longer and longer for the benefits they deserve and desperately need.

How Long Will I Wait?

How long you will wait to receive your benefits depends, in large part, on where you are located. Determinations on initial applications are made by state agencies, often called Disability Determination Services (DDS).   Generally, it takes three to four months to receive a decision on your initial application, though this varies by state.  Responding to DDS requests as quickly as possible will ensure that your case is not delayed.

Special Cases

In certain circumstances, you may receive your benefits more quickly.  Social Security will expedite claims where the claimant’s medical conditions are so serious they obviously meet disability standards.  The Administration has designated a list of conditions which are processed as “compassionate allowances.”   Individuals suffering from these conditions can receive their benefits in as little as 30 days. 

Compassionate allowance conditions include Acute Leukemia, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Gallbladder Cancer, and Pancreatic Cancer.  For a complete list of conditions considered for compassionate allowance go to http://www.socialsecurity.gov/compassionateallowances.

Denials and Appeals

If your initial application for benefits is denied, you will, in most states, file a Request for Reconsideration.[1] Again, the case is sent to DDS to make a determination.  Typically you will receive a response within three or four months.

If you are again denied, you will file a Request for Hearing.  Once filed, your case will be transferred to an Office of Disability Adjudication and Review (ODAR) and a hearing will be scheduled.  On average, it is taking 439 days from the date the hearing request was filed for a hearing to be held. This varies greatly depending on location.  For example, at the Brooklyn, NY hearing office, the average wait time for a hearing is 295 days. Compare that to Columbus, OH where the average wait time is 634 days.  Your ODAR will be able to tell you their average time to hearing.

What Can You Do to Speed Up The Process?

If your case is appropriate, an attorney can file a Request For An On The Record Decision (OTR).  An OTR is a brief arguing that your case should be awarded without the need for a hearing.  If your case has been delayed for longer average, your Congressional Representative can often assist in getting your hearing scheduled.

[1] There are 10 states that do not have a Request for Reconsideration, including Alaska, Alabama, California (Los Angeles West and North Branches), Colorado, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, New Hampshire, New York, and Pennsylvania.