When assisting Social Security disability applicants a frequent question is “how long will that take?” Not only is the question asked frequently by the majority of applicants, but it is asked multiple times by the same applicant. The reason this is the case is because there is a lot of waiting time involved with either a Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) case no matter what stage it is at.
In previous blog posts the wait times for the initial application, appeal and hearing level process has been established, but what about after the hearing?
Unfortunately there is more waiting ahead after your hearing before an Administrative Law Judge.
No matter what an ALJ may say at your hearing there is no official decision until you receive it in writing. The ALJ may indicate you have won your Social Security disability hearing or may not give any inkling as to whether you won or lost, but either way you will have to wait for that written decision.
The ALJ is under no obligation to issue a decision in a certain amount of time. At Greeman Toomey PLLC, we advise our clients that most decisions are issued within 90 days, but the actual wait time can even be more than that.
Once a favorable ALJ decision is issued another waiting period begins. After the ALJ decision is issued the applicant will eventually receive an Award Letter, which will explain monthly benefit amounts as well as the back pay the applicant is entitled to. Shortly after that, or even around the same time, the applicant will finally begin to see Social Security payments.
So, the next time you ask someone at Social Security or your legal representative how long is that going to take, the answer will usually being with “it depends.”
For more information about the wide discrepancy in Social Security wait times click here.
JK
