The Long Social Security Disability Wait

Typically, it takes several months to years from the date of an initial filing for an applicant to receive a final answer on a disability claim. True, there are some claims that are approved fairly quickly on their first time through the system, but these are by far the minority of cases. Nationwide, about 7 out of 10 cases are denied on an initial application.

The wait for disability benefits can be especially stressful when the claimant is facing unpaid bills and a diminished work capacity, if not an outright inability to perform their current job. Why does it take so long to see disability benefits?

Well, the answer to that lies in the disability determination process itself. It takes an average of 3 to 4 months for a disability examiner to render a decision on a claim. If the claim is denied, the applicant can appeal the decision by filing a request for reconsideration with the state disability determination services (DDS) agency. It might take less time for a decision on a reconsideration appeal to be rendered, since the majority of the medical evidence and work history is already at DDS, and they basically re-examine it to make sure they stand by their initial decision. However, in most states disability examiners have a backlog of cases waiting to be considered due to an increase in the number of disability claims being filed, so it’s not unlikely that it could take another 3 to 4 months to receive a decision on appeal. This means that about 70 percent of those filing disability claims will have to wait at least 6 months to be approved for benefits, but that's only if their reconsideration appeal is successful. And only fifteen percent of reconsideration appeals are successful.

For those who are denied on their first appeal, the wisest course is to file another appeal, this time requesting a hearing before a federal administrative law judge. Some applicants are hesitant to take this step, picturing a daunting trial in which they are cross-examined by a disapproving judge and put on public display. And yet the disability hearing is really nothing like a court trial, and can take as little as 10 minutes to complete. The judge that decides the case is an administrative law judge that specializes in making decisions regarding disability, and is statistically more likely to grant benefits than to deny them: more than half of all disability denials are overturned by a disability judge.

All-in-all, the disability hearing is fairly quick and painless; the catch is, once again, in the long wait. Currently there are so many disability cases waiting to be heard by a judge, the wait to have your case heard can stretch from 1 to 2 years.

While there is nothing that can be done to change the present disability determination process, there are some steps that, if taken, can help to ensure that your case will not take longer than necessary.

First, make sure that you file for disability as soon as your disability is beginning to affect your ability to perform your job. The longer you wait to file, the more cases move to the front of the line, so to speak, and you must think, not of your present ability to get by, but of the likelihood that your condition will present financial challenges in the future. Immediately begin documenting your symptoms through treatment by a qualified medical professional, especially if you are in a position to take advantage of any job-related health insurance. If you are not insured, begin investigating the sliding-scale fee or free medical treatment facilities in your area, and be sure to document any trips to the emergency room resulting from your condition.

Second, if your initial claim for disability is denied, immediately file an appeal. Although you have 60 days to file an appeal, it’s best to file right away so that your appeal is considered as soon as possible. Do not bother filing a new claim until all of your appeals are exhausted, as a new claim with DDS will most likely be denied again for the same reasons it failed the first time around.

Third, keep in touch with your disability examiner so that you can keep informed of the status of your claim. The goal here is to make sure that your examiner has all the medical records he or she needs to render a decision in your case. If a physician or medical facility is not supplying the examiner with the records needed in a timely fashion, offer to pick them up and deliver them to the examiner’s office yourself. And remember to inform social security if your address or phone number changes.

These suggestions may seem obvious, but surprisingly many claimants delay their own cases by neglecting to act in a timely, responsible matter about something as important as ensuring that financial relief arrives as soon as possible.













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Social Security Disability Secrets

Social Security Disability Requirements



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