Waiting for Your Social Security Disability Benefits? You Are Not Alone

One thing that many Social Security Disability benefits applicants may have in common is that they may have waited quite a long time to get their Social Security Benefits application approved, and to get Social Security Disability checks in hand. Indeed, if you think that it has been a while since you last appealed your Social Security Disability decision of denial, you are probably not alone.

According to Newsweek, after a whopping 30-year-track record of reduced wait times for Social Security Administration administrative law judge decisions after Social Security Disability hearings, wait times have again reached astronomical heights, affecting hundreds of thousands of disabled Americans who are waiting on their Social Security Disability benefits, and depending on those benefits being granted to them. Newsweek underscores this point with the raw data, revealing that, “As of January, nearly 300,000 Americans are awaiting decisions on their Social Security disability appeals, highlighting significant delays in the system. The average wait time for these hearings is currently 291 days, or over 9.5 months. Despite improvements from previous years, these extended wait times can result in financial strain and delayed access to essential benefits for those in need.” The news outlet also reminds Americans of the shorter delay times during the past several decades, stating that “After reaching a 30-year low of 261,574 pending Social Security disability hearings in September 2024, the backlog has begun to climb again. According to data from the Social Security Administration, by January, the number of pending hearings had risen to 270,949—a significant increase of nearly 10,000 cases in just four months. This reversal comes after a steady decline in backlogged cases throughout 2023 and most of 2024, raising concerns about whether the progress made in reducing delays is beginning to stall.”

Why does this matter? The reversal of providing expeditious administrative law judge decisions after Social Security Disability appeals hearings may severely affect disabled Social Security Disability applicants. Newsweek notes that, “prolonged wait times can have severe consequences for applicants, many of whom rely on Social Security benefits as their primary source of income due to disabilities that prevent them from working. Extended delays can lead to financial hardship, exacerbating health issues and increasing the risk of poverty among this vulnerable population.”

Getting Legal Help with Your Social Security Disability Case

Social Security Disability benefits applicants and disabled Americans may wonder what they can do in order to prevent long delays in getting Social Security Disability benefits due to them. The best thing that a Social Security Disability benefits applicant can do is to work with an experienced Social Security Disability lawyer on their case.

No person should have to navigate the complex and challenging Social Security Disability benefits application process alone. The experienced Social Security Disability lawyers at Nationwide Disability Law are here to help Social Security Disability applicants get important financial benefits due to them. Contact Nationwide Disability Law today and speak with a lawyer about your case now.

Source:

newsweek.com/nearly-300k-americans-await-social-security-decision-2036815