Skip to main content

HOW LONG TO GET MY DECISION AFTER A DISABILITY HEARING?

After your Social Security disability hearing, the administrative law judge will make a decision within about 60 days.   However, you won't get the decision at that time.

After a decision has been made, it goes to a process called decision writing.  Here, an attorney or assistant will write the judge's decision into the proper format and give the legal reasoning behind the decision.  This decision writing  process usually takes another 30 to 60 days. Neither you or your attorney can see the decision while it's in the writing process, so you can't know if you are approved or not.

When the decision writing process is complete and the judge signs the decision, a letter will be sent to you and your attorney/representative in the mail. 

So, from the time of your hearing, you could wait another 90 days or more to receive the decision.  

We assume here that there are no outstanding or post-hearing requirements that will delay your case.  Sometimes, there may outstanding evidence that's not available at the hearing.  When this occurs the judge will hold the record "open" to wait for the additional evidence.  This can add even more time to the delay in getting your decision.

Your attorney-representative will try to obtain all the evidence prior to your hearing.  You can help by giving your representative all your recent medical appointments 60 days before the hearing, giving your representative time to order, receive and submit evidence before the hearing date.  This can shorten the time you wait to get a decision.

Final question:  After the decision arrives in the mail, how long must you wait for your pay from Social Security?  There is no set or predictable time for this.  Payment centers (the places which write the checks) are terribly backlogged.  It can take them 30 to 90 days to write you a check or make a deposit into your bank account (after you reach the decision).  Some claimants may get paid sooner but it's unpredictable.  

Important:  After you receive the judge's decision in the mail, the Social Security office will mail you followup letters letting you know when to expect your payments and how much the payments will be.  This doesn't happen immediately after the decision arrives, however.  Social Security has up to 90 days to send you the followup letters.

Patience is the name of the game when waiting on Social Security.  It is the S-L-O-W-E-S-T agency in the US Government and you just can't speed up the process.  Neither can your attorney in most cases.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

IF I CHANGE ATTORNEYS WILL IT DELAY MY DISABILITY CASE?

No.  Getting a new attorney will NOT delay your pending Social Security disability claim or appeal .  Your new attorney "inherits" the case and picks up where the other attorney left off.  There is no re-filing or starting over, so your case is not set back or delayed at all.  Social Security maintains an electronic folder stored in its system.  This folder contains every document ever submitted concerning your claim or appeal.  Your new lawyer may log into your electronic files and see, in real time, all the evidence and other documents in your file. While we do not recommend changing attorneys while your case is pending a decision, it is sometimes necessary.  You may need a new lawyer if your attorney dies, retires or  becomes disabled before your case is settled.  You may choose a new attorney without delaying or causing any set back to your case. If you are considering obtaining a lawyer to handle your Social Security disability case in...
Post a Comment
Read more

URGENT MESSAGE FROM SOCIAL SECURITY'S TOP OFFICIAL - February 18, 2025

There is a lot of talk and speculation about Social Security in the new Trump Administration.  The acting commissioner of Social Security recently resigned and Lee Dudek has been appointed the new Acting Director. Today (2/18/2025) I received a message from the new Acting Commissioner Dudek.  Here is part of Director Dudek's message on Social Security for 2025:   Our continuing priority is paying beneficiaries the right amount at the right time, and providing other critical services people rely on from us. DOGE personnel CANNOT make changes to agency systems, benefit payments, or other information. They only have READ access. DOGE personnel do not have access to data related to a court ordered temporary restraining order, current or future. DOGE personnel must follow the law and if they violate the law they will be referred to the Department of Justice for possible prosecution.                      ...
Post a Comment
Read more

SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY APPLICATION PROCESS

  Here is a brief overview of what takes place after you file your Social Security disability application : Application confirmation  – Social Security will mail you a copy of your application to sign. You will have an opportunity to review the application, correct any errors, and send it back to Social Security for processing. You must return the signed application. Social Security will not process your application until they receive your signed confirmation. And they don't send reminders about this. Function report  – Social Security will mail you a form called a function report . This form will ask questions about your personal care, meals, house and yard work, getting around, shopping, money, hobbies and interests, social activities,  and other abilities. This form will help Social Security determine what you can and cannot do on a daily basis. It must be filled out carefully and fully and returned. Work history report  – Social Security will ma...
Post a Comment
Read more