What is the Average Wait Time for a Social Security Disability Hearing?
Tom Petty was right: “The waiting is the hardest part.”
Unfortunately, you may have to wait a long time for your disability hearing.
This article discusses the average wait time until a hearing before an administrative law judge (ALJ) in the locations where we help disabled adults and children get benefits. I pulled this information from the Social Security Administration’s data published for December 2024, just a couple of months ago.
Social Security’s report lists the average time from when a disability claimant requests a hearing to when the hearing occurs. This distinction is critical because it leaves out the time you must wait before your claim reaches the hearing request level. The earlier levels – the initial application and request for reconsideration stages – add many more months of waiting to the disability process.
If you have questions about your case or want to speak with a top-ranked disability attorney, call (804) 251-1620 or fill out this form. We help adults and children qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) throughout the East Coast.
Average Wait Time for Your Day in Court in Select Social Security Hearing Offices
The list below shows the reported average waiting times for hearings in the Office of Hearings Operations (OHO) hearing offices where we regularly represent clients.
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- Alexandria, VA: 6.0 months
- Baltimore, MD: 8.0 months
- Charleston, WV: 6.0 months
- Charlotte, NC: 6.0 months
- Charlottesville, VA: 8.0 months
- Dover, DE: 8.0 months
- Fayetteville, NC: 6.0 months
- Ft. Lauderdale, FL: 6.0 months
- Greensboro, NC: 7.0 months
- Harrisburg, PA: 8.0 months
- Huntington, WV: 10.0 months
- Johnstown, PA: 8.0 months
- Kingsport, TN: 6.0 months
- Knoxville, TN: 7.5 months
- Middlesboro, KY: 6.0 months
- Morgantown, WV: 9.0 months
- NHC (National Hearing Center) Baltimore: 9.0 months
- NCH Falls Church: 9.0 months
- Norfolk, VA: 10.0 months
- Philadelphia, PA: 10.0 months
- Philadelphia, PA East: 8.5 months
- Pittsburgh, PA: 8.0 months
- Raleigh, NC: 6.0 months
- Richmond, VA: 8.0 months
- Roanoke, VA: 8.0 months
- Washington, DC: 7.0 months
- Wilkes Barre, PA: 7.0 months
Why Do I Have to Wait Longer than Normal for My Disability Hearing?
The average wait times listed above are just that – averages.
You may have to wait even longer for your disability hearing.
Bad luck may be the reason for your longer wait. Or, there may be an underlying cause, such as a missed CE appointment or incomplete paperwork.
I recommend contacting a disability lawyer to help you determine why your case is taking so long and to help you prepare to win at the hearing once Social Security schedules it. A local disability attorney familiar with the ALJ assigned to your case can tailor the evidence to that ALJ’s specific tendencies and hearing procedures.
