Social Security Attempting to Lower Wait Times for Hearings

April 14, 2011

When a person is denied for Social Security Disability, they should file an appeal so their case is heard before a judge.  However, people often feel a great deal of frustration over this process because the wait time could be as long as 3 years.  The wait time has been reduced in recent years, but it can still be a lengthy process.  In 2010, the average wait time was a year and a half.  There are currently more than 2 million people waiting to receive benefits from Social Security, so you would expect the wait time to be long.

SSA Commissioner Michael Astrue recently stated that this top goal was to speed up the process in order to reduce the number of backlogged cases.  In order to do this, SSA is promoting video hearings.  Video hearings are identical to regular hearings, but they take place with the applicant and attorney talking to the judge via a large television.  The video hearing takes place at the applicants local SSA office, but the judge could be on the other side of the country.

These video hearings not only help to speed up the process, but they allow the disabled person to stay closer to home for their hearing.  Video hearings are not available everywhere, but they may be coming to your local office soon.

Whether you are having a traditional hearing in a courtroom or a video hearing, it is important to have an attorney by your side to ensure that your case is handled correctly.  Contacting an attorney early in the process is important so the attorney has plenty of time to gather all of the medical evidence necessary and prepare for hearing.  After a hearing, it takes about 30 to 60 days before you’ll hear the judge’s decision regarding your benefits.

To get started, download our free book: Eight Mistakes to Avoid When Filing For Social Security Benefits. The book is full of great tips to help you understand Social Security and the SSD application process. If you have any questions, give us a call or fill out the online contact form. The initial consultation is always free and there is no obligation.  And, if you can’t come to our Indianapolis office, we can come to you.

Information retrieved from PR-USA net.