Social Security Resources

The question of how long it takes to get a decision on a Social Security Disability or ssi benefit claim...is a vexing one. And vexing for several reasons.

First of all, in many parts of the country, the Social Security initial application and appeals process is getting longer. Why is this occurring? Part of the reason is most likely due to a steep rise in disability claims, which may be a factor of the changing economy and/or the fact that the population is aging.

The other "vexing" reason is simpler to understand, particularly if you have applied for benefits, or appealed a denial on such a claim:

Disability claimants usually, at some point in the process, experience tough financial circumstances as a result of having zero income while they wait for their case to be resolved.

To answer the question, though, Social Security Disability and ssi cases can be won in as little as 30 days, or take as long as two years for benefits to be awarded. There is simply no way to predict how long a case will take because unlike other programs (Dept of Social Services, for instance), the federal disability program does not have deadlines for applications or appeals.

On average, though, a decision for an Initial Claim takes 3-4 months, and a Reconsideration about as long, though it is not unheard of for a case to be decided much sooner or much later.

Claimants whose Social Security Disability (or ssi) cases are denied at the Reconsideration level (the first appeal after the denial of the inital claim) will have to wait for a hearing to be scheduled before an Administrative Law Judge.

This routinely takes 6 months or longer (and in some parts of the country, the wait, incredibly enough, is as long as 18 months), but, ultimately, this depends on the number of cases pending at the Hearing Office, which varies considerably by geographic area.

Note: read the overview and tips sections to learn how a case can potentially be speeded along faster, hopefully toward a benefit award.