How long does it take to get my disability benefits once a claim for benefits is filed?

If you can’t work anymore because of serious health problems, it’s understandable that you want to know how long it’s going to take to win Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits.
After all, you’re somehow supposed to pay for all your regular expenses plus your new medical bills without income from working. It’s a scary time, but disability benefits can provide a path forward.
You might feel like you’re hanging on by a thread waiting for those monthly checks. Unfortunately, you face many steps, forms and requirements to meet before Social Security will grant disability income. It could take months or more than a year to finally win approval.

You Need Disability Income Now, But When Will You Get It?

If you can’t work anymore because of serious health problems, it’s understandable that you want to know how long it’s going to take to win Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits.

After all, you’re somehow supposed to pay for all your regular expenses plus your new medical bills without income from working. It’s a scary time, but disability benefits can provide a path forward.

You might feel like you’re hanging on by a thread waiting for those monthly checks. Unfortunately, you face many steps, forms and requirements to meet before Social Security will grant disability income. It could take months or more than a year to finally win approval.

And that’s if Social Security is satisfied that you’ve proven you can’t work, and you deserve benefits.

Experienced disability lawyers, like the ones at Lachman & Gorton Law Office serving Binghamton, Elmira, Endicott, Oneonta, Rochester and people across New York, can guide you through this process.

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How Long Are the Waits for Disability Benefits?

Depending on how your cases progresses, you could face different wait times:

  • 2 to 4 months if you’re approved the first time you apply
  • Up to 22 months if you’re denied, you appeal the decision and need to see an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ)
  • Even longer if your case goes to higher levels of appeal, such the Social Security Appeals Council and federal court.

Since most people are denied benefits on their first try, they have to file an appeal. A key step in appealing is having a hearing with an administrative law judge (ALJ), who will listen to your case and make a fresh decision on whether you qualify for benefits.

Long waits are not just a problem for you when you need disability benefits. They’re a national crisis. Social Security has a huge list of people waiting to see a disability judge, sometimes topping 1 million. The national average wait time often falls around 18 months.

To get an idea of how long your case might take, and how you should prepare, the disability lawyers at the Lachman & Gorton Law Office won’t charge anything to evaluate your situation.

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Get Help with Your Disability Claim

The government’s own numbers show that you’re more likely to win benefits if you’re working with a representative. The lawyers at Lachman & Gorton know the regulations and procedures you must follow under disability law—and how to prepare a strong claim.

We also know how to avoid mistakes and unnecessary delays that add even more wait time.

Better yet, we don’t charge anything up front. You only pay an attorney fee after you win benefits, and it will come out of back benefits you’re awarded to cover all the time you were waiting. You’ll pay nothing from your future checks.

Only wealthy people have enough cash reserves to carry their expenses for nearly two years without earning a paycheck.

While you wait for disability income, you may be forced to make significant lifestyle changes to stay afloat, including selling your home, moving in with family, tapping into retirement savings too early and selling off belongings.

At Lachman & Gorton, we know you’re going through a difficult time, and we’re here to support you. Don’t struggle alone. Trust the attorneys at Lachman & Gorton to do the work of putting together the best possible case for you.

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How Long Will it Take to Receive Social Security Disability Benefits?

National Organization of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives
United States District Court of Northern and Western Districts
Broome County Bar Association