A lot of our clients at Drummond Disability have asked us questions including: (1) Why is it taking so long for a decision in my Social Security disability case? And (2) Is there any way that my case can be sped up so I can get a decision in disability case?
The answer to the first question is that wait times have increased for decision on Social Security Disability (SSD) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) cases due to an increase in disability applications. What this means is that because more people are applying for disability it is taking long to process the additional claims and resulting in each case taking longer.
In general, there are 3 steps in each Social Security case’s life:
- The first step is the initial level which begins after the application for SSD and/or SSI is completed.
- The second step is called reconsideration and is filed if you receive a denial at the initial level.
- The third step is a Request for Hearing which is filed if your reconsideration is denied and it serves to request a hearing in front of an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ).
While going through step 1 and 2 use to take a couple months, over the years these steps have now routinely began to take up to 6 months or more before claimants get a decision in this case. Furthermore, step 3, the request for hearing, use to result in a wait of 6 or less months are not taking a year or more to schedule. In fact, the current average length of time to get a hearing for the St. Louis, MO ODAR office is 16 months while the average wait for the Peoria, IL ODAR office is 13 months.
Here at Drummond Law we understand that waiting this long can cause a lot of issues for claimants including financial difficulties, housing problems, and difficulty affording the proper medical treatment. Because of this, we take whatever steps we can to accelerate your case.
The ways that your case can be accelerated include: (1) if your case meets what Social Security calls a Compassionate Allowance; (2) if a Dire Need request with supporting documentation is accepted by Social Security; and (3) if an Attorney Advisors decision is requested.
Drummond Law routinely does all of these steps and have had success in getting cases fast tracked. Unfortunately, it does not work for all cases, but Drummond Law does whatever is possible for every case.
If you are having problems due to delays in your Social Security Disability (SSD) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) case, call Drummond Law today for a FREE CONSULTATION at (800) 842-0426.