Denial Rates and Wait Times

The most cumbersome and onerous part of getting either type of Social Security Disability is the wait involved in the decision-making process.

Both programs go through the same decision-making process and thus will have the same wait times for decisions at each phase. While wait times can fluctuate from one state to another, and even from one ZIP Code to another, there are some national averages.

At the initial stages, Social Security tends to quote a three month wait time. However, over 60% of applicants will wait longer than four months for their first decision, and over 30% of applicants will wait longer than six months for their initial decision. After being denied the reconsideration phase can take another three months or longer (NOLO).

The wait times become unforgivable when one has to wait for a hearing. Over 50% of claimant’s will wait more than one year for their hearing, including homeless and terminally ill individuals. Despicably, 14% of disabled claimants will even wait longer than two years to go in front of a judge. These way times are not calculated from the initial application. They are calculated from the time the claimant requests the hearing, after being denied reconsideration. Claimants will also wait a minimum of two months to get a written hearing from a judge to find out whether they are approved or denied (NOLO).