How Long Does It Take to Get Approved for SSI or SSD?
Whether you’re applying for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI), the initial application for benefits nowadays averages around 11 months nationwide, or even more than a year, according to a 2024 report from the Social Security Administration (SSA) inspector general.
Growing case backlogs and SSA staffing shortages make the process longer and trickier.
Step 1: Initial application: The SSA reviews your medical and work history. It’s not common to get approved at this stage: Only around 20 percent of initial applicants get approved nationally.
Step 2: Reconsideration (when denied): Asking for a reconsideration—the first step of appealing a denial—also takes months. Generally, this stage takes eight to 12 months, depending on SSA workload.
Step 3: Administrative law judge hearing (when denied again): If reconsideration doesn’t go your way, you ask for a hearing with a disability judge. As of 2025, the SSA was reporting a 418-day average wait to get a hearing.
Steps 4 & 5: Social Security appeals council and federal court: If you still don’t get approved, there’s more levels you can take your appeal, extending the process by another year or more.
Does Oregon Have Additional Delays?
The process for Oregonians is the same as other states, but the wait times may fluctuate depending on a specific hearing office’s resources and backlog.
- Oregon follows the same SSA disability determination process as other states.
- The average wait time for an ALJ hearing in Oregon was around 14 months as of 2025.
Approval rates among judges also vary from place to place.
In Oregon, the average hearing approval rate has been in the low 40s in recent years. (But this is a far better chance of getting approved than in the initial steps.)
At Wells, Manning, Eitenmiller & Taylor, we help you avoid unnecessary delays by ensuring that your information is correct, complete and filed in a timely way.
The SSA denies many applications due to missing or incomplete information. Our disability attorneys help you avoid mistakes.
Why Does It Take So Long to Get Disability Benefits?
It’s shocking to hear how long the Social Security Disability process takes. You wouldn’t be alone. This is some of what’s going on:
- SSA Backlogs: There are millions of disability claims to process, and the SSA faces staffing shortages and funding cuts.
- Medical Records & Evaluations: Your application needs strong medical documentation, or the SSA may request more records or schedule a doctor’s exam, adding time.
- High Denial Rates & Appeals: The SSA denies the vast majority of applications, forcing people through the appeals process.
- Hearing Delays: The average wait time to get to your hearing has climbed past a year in many parts of the country, including Oregon.
The Social Security Disability lawyers at Wells, Manning, Eitenmiller & Taylor can’t make Social Security move faster. But we help you:
- Submit a complete, well-documented application to reduce the risk of denials.
- Communicate with your doctors to get medical records to support your disability claim.
- Request expedited reviews for serious medical conditions, terminal illness, or extreme financial hardship.
- Prepare you thoroughly for your hearing so you can present the strongest possible case to the judge.
Studies show you’re almost three times more likely to win benefits when you have a lawyer at your disability hearing.
And remember: In the end, you can receive back pay to make up for the months or longer that it took to win your claim. Back pay can add up to a significant amount.
For more than 45 years, Wells, Manning, Eitenmiller & Taylor lawyers have helped thousands of Oregonians through the arduous SSD process, offering care and support in a difficult time.
You don’t pay an attorney fee unless you win benefits.
Start by having us look at your disability case in an attorney consultation—FOR FREE
We’re with You Every Step of the Way
Whether you’re trying to determine if you’re qualified for disability benefits, you need help filing your application, or you received a denial notice and want another chance, our law firm helps from the beginning and stays by your side.
Have a Question about Disability Benefits?
Your health is bad. You can’t work. Your financial stability is threatened. So your head is swimming with questions. How will you get by? How does Social Security Disability work? We’ve gathered answers. See them here:
Disability FAQs »
Hear from a Wells, Manning, Eitenmiller & Taylor Client
“They work hard for people who struggle because of mental and physical abilities. Highly recommend . . . I got the call I was awarded benefits. . . . When he called me I was so happy I was crying. . . . Thank you so much for giving me hope when I lost it. Thank you for fighting so hard.”
