By the time you file for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits, you may have gone weeks without work and could have a massive stack of unpaid medical bills because of your recent injury or medical diagnosis.
While you know that you need financial assistance sooner rather than later, the Social Security Administration (SSA) is not always that quick about approving claims. In fact, many people who have qualifying medical conditions and truly need SSDI benefits initially get denied.
These people with denied applications will have to request reconsideration and possibly appeal the decision denying them benefits. How long does it take to appeal a denied SSDI claim?
The average wait is many months
To promote transparency, the SSA provides information about the average wait times in different offices for administrative hearings related to denied applications. Knowing the average wait time of the office where you apply can give you an idea of how to manage your budget while waiting to prove how desperately you need those SSDI benefits.
For those applying through the Greensboro SSA office, the current average wait time for an appeal hearing is approximately 11 months. That means that from the date of your application to the date that you finally get to talk to someone face-to-face, you may have had to wait for well over a year.
A mistake at your hearing could cost you
Given the length of your wait, you don’t want to make mistakes when you finally get to your hearing in front of the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ). An experienced attorney can advocate for you and help you present your case for benefits.