How Long Does It Take To Get Disability
January 19, 2022 By Rich Frankel
If you are unable to work due to a disability, you may be eligible for disability benefits through the Social Security Administration . Depending on your situation, you may be entitled to Social Security Disability Insurance and/or Supplemental Security Income . These disability benefits can be an important source of financial stability.
In most cases, it takes between 3 and 5 months to be approved for SSDI and/or SSI. However, there are a number of factors that influence how long it takes to get Social Security disability benefits, such as the length of time that it takes to gather medical records and other supporting evidence. A Skilled disability benefits longer can often help you get benefits more quickly by helping you avoid common pitfalls in the disability claim process.
Based in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, Bross & Frankel represents individuals with disabilities throughout New Jersey and Pennsylvania. We work hard to help our clients get approved based on their initial application. When necessary, we will file an appeal to ensure that you get the benefits that you deserve. Reach out today to schedule a free claim review with a member of our team.
Answer A Few Questions To Check Your Eligibility
Most people get an initial decision in six months, though our survey showed some people receive a disability approval or denial in three months.
If you’re thinking of applying for Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income or you’ve already appliedyou’ve probably heard that it takes a long time to find out if you’ll receive benefits. But how long? We surveyed readers across the U.S. who recently went through the application process for SSDI or SSI. Here’s what we learned about how long they had to wait at different stages in the process.
Stage Two: An Administrative Law Judge Hearing
If your claim is rejected again after the reconsideration phase, you may request a hearing with an Administrative Law Judge. The location of your hearing will typically be within 75 miles from where you reside. The judge will examine your application and evaluate your request.
It can take a month for the judge to decide on your case. But the good news is many claims that reach this stage are approved for benefits.
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What Disability Programs Are There In Georgia
Georgia doesnt have a state-based disability benefits programbut there are some national and private disability options Georgians can qualify for.
1. Social Security Disability Insurance : SSDI supports Americans who can no longer work due to a medical condition. Generally if youve worked for five of the last ten years, you qualify for SSDI . The program is run through the Social Security Administration, and the amount you receive depends largely on how much youve paid into Social Security on your taxes.
2. Supplemental Security Income : If you havent worked enough, or worked recently enough, to qualify for SSDI, you may qualify for SSI. Its another federal program, and you use the same application to apply. SSI is only for individuals with very little income and very few assets, and generally pays out less monthly than SSDI.
3. Long Term / Short Term Private Disability Insurance: If you purchased disability insurance prior to you becoming disabledyou can file a claim with the private insurer. These pay out a percentage of your former incomebut the exact amount and duration of the benefit will depend on the policy.
4. Veterans Disability Benefits: If you served in the military and suffered an injury that left you unable to work, or youre retired but have a medical condition as a result of your service, you should apply for disability benefits through Veterans Affairs. For more information, visit the VAs disability benefits website.
Georgia Disability Benefits: How Long Does It Take And How Much Do They Pay
How long does it take to get disability benefits in Georgia? How much will the program pay? What’s considered a disability anyway?
Our short answers: The process can take a few months or several years. The benefits can amount to nine-figures over your lifetime. And many conditions qualifyas long it renders you unable to work for a year or more.
Still have questions? We still have answers. Read on to learn more about how to apply for disability in Georgia, which benefit programs you should apply for, what conditions qualify, and how to find the right lawyer .
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What Is The Difference Between A Fully Developed Disability Claim And A Standard Disability Claim
The VA offers an optional fully developed claim program to assist veterans in receiving a decision regarding their VA disability compensation, faster.
The term fully developed claim means you have provided all of the information the VA requires when making an approval or denial decision on a disability claim.
Here is the information you will need to submit to the VA for your claim to be considered a fully developed claim:
- VA Form 21-526EZ, The Application for Disability Compensation and Related Compensation Benefits.
- Medical records and other supporting documentation that provides a diagnosis of your condition and evidence of a link between your condition and your military service.
- Check with the VA to ensure that you dont need to provide additional information to support your disability claim.
- Attend your C& P exam and other medical appointments as required by the VA.
The VA considers the following appropriate evidence for a fully developed claim:
- Medical records related to the condition in which you are filing
- Any military records that relate to your disability claim
- Medical records that you dont currently have in your possession, but that the VA can request from a federal facility .
If you feel that the VA needs more information to make a determination, you can include letters from fellow military service members, family, friends, law enforcement personnel, or clergy.
Can I Predict My Odds Of Being Approved And How Long My Case Will Take
Actually, you can.
So, if you start with 100 people applying for disability, 30 people will get approved within 3-4 months time on average. The remaining 70 who got denied should file an appeal. Of those 70 who appeal, about 56 will be denied , and 14 of them will be approved.
Who gets approved in a six month timeframe?
Within an average six month timeframe, about 44 of the original 100 people who filed a claim will eventually be approved, on a disability application or on a reconsideration appeal.
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Is Preparation For Notification A Good Sign
Preparation for Notification is the 5th step in the disability claims process. This is when your near the final stages of a VA rating decision: approval, denial or deferral.
At this point, you can expect to have a decision, possibly within as little as 30 business days.
The entire VA disability claim file gets sent to the VA Ratings Veteran Service Representative , who will review the application and evidence. They will then recommend a decision.
What Happens If The Dac Gets Married
If the child receives benefits as a DAC, the benefits generally end if they get married. However, some marriages are considered protected.
The rules vary depending on the situation. Contact a Social Security representative at 1-800-772-1213 to find out if the benefits can continue.
1-800-772-1213
To speed up the application process, complete an Adult Disability Report and have it available at the time of your appointment.
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You Have Sufficient Work Credits
Social security disability is like an insurance program. Individuals pay into Social Security by working certain covered jobs, and their earnings are converted into work credits. In 2020, $1,410 in earnings is equivalent to one credit . You can earn a maximum of four credits per year.
Typically, you need 40 work credits to be eligible for social security disability benefits, 20 of which must have been earned in the 10-year period ending at the start of your disability. So, if you apply for disability in 2020 but became disabled in 2018, you must have earned 20 work credits in the period 2008 to 2018.
Younger disabled workers, however, may qualify with fewer work credits. The amount required depends on age and is as follows:
- Younger than 24: Six credits in the three-year period ending when your disability began
- 24 to 31 years old: You need work credits equal to half the time you worked between age 21 and the date you become disabled. For example, if you were disabled at age 29, you need four years of work history and 16 credits.
- 31 to 42 years old: You need a minimum of 20 work credits,
- Older than 42: The number of work credits needed is based on a sliding scale and adds two credits every two years to the 20 credit requirement. For example, a 50-year old applicant would need 28 credits.
Information We Need About Your Work And Education
To decide whether you are disabled, we use a five-step process. Listed below are frequently asked questions about Step 4 and Step 5 of the process.
We need to find out about your past work to decide if you can still do it. To make this decision, we need to know how you did your job. We also need to know if you learned skills on your job.
We need this information to see if you can do any of your past work. Remember that you are not disabled according to our rules unless your illnesses, injuries or conditions prevent you from doing your past work or adjusting to other work.
Information about your education and training are also very important to us. If you cannot do your past work, we look at your age, education, training, and work experience to see if you can do other kinds of work.
Disclaimer: The following is general information only. The Social Security Act and related regulations, rulings and case law should be used or cited as authority for the Social Security disability programs.
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How Long Does It Typically Take For The Ssa To Approve A Disability Claim
The duration can vary from person to person. It also depends on the thoroughness of your paperwork and the length of time the Social Security Administration needs to verify your medical documents and other evidence you have submitted in support of your application.
The initial stage of the SSD benefits application process can take about three to four months to complete. If your disability case is strong and you submit sufficient evidence of your disability with your application, following all SSA guidelines, your application is more likely to be approved. For this, you must submit all necessary documents that demonstrate your long-term disability.
If you fail to provide sufficient evidence or do not follow the steps outlined by the SSA, your application for disability benefits may be denied, requiring you to move forward with the appeals process. You can appeal the SSAs decision within the 60 days of a benefits denial. An experienced SSD attorney can represent you during your hearing and will fight for your rights.
Because the process can be long, it is important to seek the counsel of an experienced disability lawyer who can analyze your case and provide you with the guidance you need to do it right the first time.
What Determines The Disability Payment Wait Time For Most People
How long it takes for your first disability payment to arrive depends on a range of factors, such as:
- Determining when your disability actually started ,
- How soon you filed your claim paperwork after that, and
- Whether the SSA approves your claim after the initial filing date.
If the SSA doesnt approve your initial SSD claim, the appeal process also affects how long youll wait for benefits.
Delays happen for several reasons. One is because you, the claimant, may make some mistakes because youre unfamiliar with the system. You might not fill out the paperwork correctly, which can cause delays. You also might not submit medical records with your application, which may also cause delays. Or you may not know how and when to do things, which also extends your wait time.
Unless you are a disability lawyer or physician, you likely dont know which information is important to submit along with your claim. Its also not possible at this time to visit a Social Security Office and speak to a representative in person.
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Does Ssdi Affect Long
The short answer is that it depends on your policy. Typically, a long-term disability insurance carrier will require beneficiaries who are qualified for Social Security disability to apply for those benefits. In that case, failing to apply for SSDI could mean losing long-term disability benefits. If you are receiving or have become eligible for private long-term disability benefits, make sure you know whether your policy requires you to apply for SSDI and what the time limit is.
Many policies provide that benefits will be reduced by the amount of SSDI received. For example, if you are receiving $2,000/month in private long-term disability benefits and are approved for $800/month in SSDI, the long-term disability payments may drop to $1,200/month.
How Do You Improve Your Chances Of Receiving A Positive Outcome
There are no guaranteed ways for you to either speed up the time it takes Social Security to reach a decision about a claim or to receive a positive decision. But there are things you can do to improve your chances.
- Stay with your claim: Your chances of being approved increased as you continue with the process. Remember, if you are not approved until the second or third step of the appeal process, you could receive a sizeable back pay allocation.
- Preparation is key: Have proper medical records ready. The more up-to-date your medical records, the greater your chances of success. If you dont have the proper medical paperwork, judges need to order examinations by an independent doctor. The SSA will pay for this examination, but doctors are notoriously slow in arranging these visits. And they often dont send in their reports by the two-week deadline. This can considerably lengthen the process.
- List all your ailments: Both medical and physical on your application.
- Provide a clear and accurate record of your work history: It should include all aspects of the job such as effort required, if you had to lift anything, hours worked and rate of pay. All these things will be used to help determine if you qualify for SSDI or SSI benefits.
- Hire someone to help you: Statistics from the Government Accounting Office show that when a claimant hires a lawyer to help them, they are three times more likely to have their benefits claim approved.
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Requesting An Attorney Advisor Decision
Another way to avoid the wait for an ALJ hearing is to get an earlier decision from an attorney employed by Social Security. Attorney advisor decisions are available for claimants who can show that Social Security made a mistake, who have new evidence to support their claims, or who can show that there has been a change in the law that will support their claims.
To request an attorney advisor decision, contact your local OHO office after you have requested a hearing. An attorney advisor may ask for more evidence or may schedule a conference with you to find out more.
If you are successful, you will get a written attorney advisor opinion that is “fully favorable”that is, it will award you benefits back to the onset date that you claimed in your application. If the attorney advisor decides there is not enough evidence to approve your claim, your case will just proceed on to the ALJ hearing. If the attorney advisor thinks that you are disabled but disagrees about your onset date, then she can issue a partially favorable decision. You have the option of accepting the partially favorable decision or going forward to the ALJ hearing.
How Long Does It Take For General Claims That Dont Qualify For Fast
First-time applicants may win approval in 3-5 months, on average. In December 2020, the SSA approved a little more than 1 in 5 first-time applicants. Most claimants have to appeal their initial denials, especially if they dont have a lawyer handling their cases.
Appealed disability claims have four steps before you should attempt to reapply for benefits. The SSA may approve your claim at any point in this process:
The amount of time it takes for you to win approval depends on which level of appeal your claim must go through. For example, some applicants who have their claim approved after reconsideration may be approved within six months. Applicants who take their claim to the appeals council for review may experience a wait time of two years. Appealing to a Federal court may take more than a year after the appeals council.
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Contact Your Representatives In Congress
When getting involved with government agencies like Social Security, it can be very helpful to get the support of your local and state representatives. Members of Congress have staff members who respond to emails and calls from the community. If you reach out to them about your disability claim, they can contact the SSA on your behalf to move the process along more quickly.
How Long Does It Really Take Most People To Get Ssd Benefits
Most people dont submit perfect disability claims with convincing medical evidence when they apply. For this reason, the SSA doesnt approve most first-time disability claims. In fact, the SSA denies the vast majority of initial claims . If they deny your first claim, you have 60 days to appeal. Then you have to wait for an appeal hearing, which usually takes at least 10 months. For appealed SSD cases, the average claim-processing timeframe nationwide is 418 days.
The important dates to remember are your onset date and the six-month waiting period. These can run at the same time. In other words, if it takes six months to process your initial approved claim, then you dont have to wait another six months. The waiting period begins on the onset date, not your filing date.
This means it can take anywhere from 6-15 months, on average, to receive claim approval. Once that process ends, it takes another month to receive any money. So, how long youll wait for your first SSD payment is a minimum of six months, but possibly one year or longer.
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