Why Does It Take So Long For a Disability Answer from Social Security?

Over two million people file for Social Security disability each year across the nation; each of these individual disability claims must be processed to a medical decision point.

Considering this fact alone, and not even touching on the issue of current backlogs in the system, it's not difficult to imagine that it could take quite some time to receive an answer on a disability claim, whether that answer is an approval for Social Security disability benefits, or a denial.

When an individual files for Social Security disability, their claim is sent to a state agency responsible for processing disability medical decisions. When a claim arrives at this agency, it is assigned to a disability examiner who must request all of the medical source information you provided at your initial disability interview (your list of doctors and hospitals where you have received treatment).

Once the examiner has this information (which, typically, takes weeks or even months to receive in total), they must determine if your medical records contain enough information to make a medical determination. If the examiner thinks more information is needed in order to make a medical decision, it is likely that you will be scheduled for a consultative examination (an exam with a physician paid by the Social Security Administration) and/or medical tests.

Currently, most initial disability claims take between a hundred and a hundred and ten days to process.

What if the answer to your disability claim is a denial for disability benefits? If you’re denied for disability benefits, you must determine if you are going to appeal the decision. If you decide to begin the Social Security disability appeal process, it may take a long time to receive a positive disability answer.

To elaborate, the first level of appeal is a reconsideration request in which your disability claim is sent back to another disability examiner at the same state disability agency for a review. Reconsideration requests take about sixty days to process, and most result in a denial for disability.

If your reconsideration is denied, you must file a request for an administrative law judge disability hearing. Depending on what area of the country you are in, your wait time for a disability hearing may take more than five hundred days, due to significant backlogs at the Social Security hearing offices.

As you can see, your wait for a disability answer may take a very long time, particularly if you pursue your claim through the appeals process. Many individuals have to pursue their claim to an administrative law judge hearing to be approved for disability benefits, and there are many others who have to persevere through the entire disability process more than one time to receive a positive disability answer.





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Social Security Disability Secrets

Social Security Disability Benefit Questions



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