How long will I wait for a Social Security disability hearing?​

If you disagree with a decision by the Social Security Administration (SSA) on a claim for disability benefits, you have the right to appeal. In most cases, that will involve a hearing before an administrative law judge (ALJ), but it can be a long, arduous process involving multiple steps.

Cases decided by ALJs in April 2025 took a little over nine months on average to reach that stage, counting from the date the hearing application was filed, according to SSA data. That’s a national figure; depending on which of Social Security’s 160-plus regional hearing offices handles your case, it can take considerably less time, or considerably more.

And that’s just counting the time from a request for a hearing to the proceeding itself. An ALJ hearing is the second step in a disability appeal, and it can take several months to get to that phase.

In most circumstances, you must first ask for a reconsideration by your state’s Disability Determination Services, the same office that handled your initial application. A different disability examiner and medical team take a fresh look at your claim and any additional evidence you want to present, such as recent medical treatment or exams. You have 60 days after an initial denial to file for reconsideration.

It takes about 7½ months on average to get an initial decision on a Social Security disability application, and the average processing time for a reconsideration is around eight months, according to the latest SSA data.

If the reconsideration goes against you, as occurs in most cases, you have 60 days to request a hearing before an administrative law judge, who will review the evidence and may also listen to your testimony and that of expert witnesses.

Once you file for a hearing, the wait time can vary based on the particulars of your case and where it is heard. According to the most recent SSA data available, the averages for individual hearing offices in April 2025 ranged from 6 to 12 months.