How long will it usually take to get a decision on a Social Security Disability or SSI claim for benefits?
Social Security Disability and SSI cases can be won in as little as 30 days, or take as long as two years for benefits to be awarded. On average, a decision for an Initial Claim takes three to four months. There is really no way to predict how long a case will take because unlike other government programs, the federal disability program does not have deadlines for applications or appeals. Claimants whose Social Security Disability (or SSI) cases are denied at the Reconsideration level (the first appeal after the denial of the initial claim) will have to wait for a hearing to be scheduled before an Administrative Law Judge. This routinely takes six months or longer (and in some parts of the country, the wait can be as long as 18 months), but, ultimately, this depends on the number of cases pending at the Hearing Office, which varies considerably by geographic area.
