How to Make It Through the Social Security Disability Process
Facing a health crisis that triggers a financial crisis, the last thing you want is to wait for your access to financial relief.
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits pay monthly checks when you can’t work because of medical problems, and they give you early access to Medicare. This lets you breathe a little easier and move forward with life.
But it’s a giant government program with thousands of rules and frequent denials and appeals. You know what’s coming: You have to wait.
Here are some numbers from Social Security about SSDI processing times in Arizona. Your individual experience, however, could be different:
- National average wait for an answer to your initial application: 6 to 8 months
- National average wait for an answer to your first appeal of a denial (called reconsideration): 7 to 8 months
- Wait time for the next step, reaching a hearing with a disability judge in Phoenix (mid-2025): 9 to 10 months
- Wait time to reach a hearing with a disability judge in Tucson: 7 months
One situation gets you faster approval: If you have an acute disease that obviously causes disability, Social Security may grant you a “Compassionate Allowance” and speed up your claim.
You can see that the time adds up. If you go through each of these steps at the high end of the range, it may be over two years before you’re approved for disability benefits.
Social Security frequently has case backlogs and staff shortages that stretch out disability cases.
It’s disappointing, but here is one bright spot: At the end of the long wait, you’ll usually be awarded back pay covering much of the time you spent waiting.
Your back benefits will date back to when Social Security decides you first officially qualified for benefits.
If it’s been many months, or over a year, you could receive a significant amount. You’ll get a lump sum check, and your monthly benefits will start. It’s a huge financial relief.
On this page, the highly experienced Arizona disability lawyers at Slepian Ellexson share our experience with managing Social Security Disability delays as we’ve helped thousands of people win benefits.
How to Keep the Social Security Disability Timeline from Getting Any Longer for You
You can’t control how long the Social Security Administration (SSA) takes to decide your disability claim.
Your Social Security Disability attorney can’t control their process, either.
What you can do is make sure none of your delay is because of something you did.
You can avoid unnecessary delays.
Here’s how:
- Apply for disability benefits as soon as you realize you can’t work. Don’t wait to file your application because you heard that Social Security requires your condition to last a certain amount of time. Don’t wait to see if you’ll feel better. Start the clock as soon as possible by filing for benefits.
- Take care to put complete and correct information in your application. Answer every question on Social Security forms as fully as possible. Provide as much supporting documentation as you can. Double-check your facts to avoid errors. Adding missing information or correcting mistakes can add time.
- Respond promptly to requests from Social Security. Once you start your disability benefits application, Social Security may ask you to fill out additional forms. Those could include authorizing them to get your medical records. Respond promptly and politely. Get the information back quickly so you don’t hold things up.
- Keep getting medical treatment. While they’re processing your claim, stay current with your medical care. In evaluating you for disability benefits, Social Security looks for whether you’re seeking consistent treatment and how the treatment is working. Don’t let a gap in care trip up your claim.
- Get detailed medical information. When you visit doctors, report your symptoms to them so your impairments are documented in detail. If Social Security asks you to go to a consultative medical examination with a doctor of their choice, don’t miss it and cause a speed bump in your case.
- Keep your Social Security Disability file up to date. If you receive a new diagnosis, go to a new doctor, undergo a surgery or procedure, undergo hospitalization, change medications, or experience any change in your medical condition, update your information with Social Security quickly. Keep records of everything happening with your health problems so you’re always ready to make updates.
- If you receive a denial, appeal the denial right away. You have 60 days from the date of your denial letter to file an appeal. Move quickly. If you miss the deadline, it could complicate things.
There’s more to watch out for…
Be careful if you go back to work in any form, even just a little to make ends meet, because Social Security has strict limits on how much you can work and still get disability benefits. The rules regarding work attempts are complex; your lawyer can help you understand them so you don’t harm your claim.
They also may see your work as a sign that you don’t need benefits and deny you.
If you have a disability hearing coming up, prepare well for it. This may be your best chance of winning benefits and finally ending the wait.
Update all of your records with Social Security ahead of your hearing. Talk to your lawyer about questions to expect from the judge. Practice how you’ll answer.
To find out more about how long your Social Security Disability claim may take, get a free case evaluation from the Arizona disability lawyers at Slepian Ellexson.
What Can You Do to Survive During the SSDI Waiting Period?
It’s all good to know how to put together a strong case for disability benefits and keep on top of the process.
You still have to wait. You’re still struggling with your health. Your income has still stopped.
This may be one of the hardest times you’ve ever experienced.
How do you get through this?
These are some of the things people do:
- Claim any other disability benefits that may be available to you. This could include a private long-term disability insurance policy if you have one. It could include veterans’ disability benefits if you have a health problem stemming from military service. It could include workers’ compensation benefits if your health problems include an injury from work.
- Seek help from government assistance programs. This could include the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) for help with food, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Medicaid and CHIP for your family’s health care costs, public housing, and Women, Infants and Children (WIC) benefits.
- Check with your utility company for breaks on your bill. Sometimes electricity companies and other utilities will help you with payment plans, forgiveness of overdue bills or other breaks when you show you’re facing financial hardship.
- Seek help from non-profit groups. Charitable groups and churches may have programs to help with food, rent, clothing, household items, and transportation needs.
- Return to work a limited amount. We mentioned earlier that any work can be risky for your disability claim. But it is possible to earn under a certain amount and still be eligible for benefits. Talk to your disability lawyer to guide you on this.
- Use your savings and resources. Times like these are what emergency savings are for. You may have to use the money you have in the bank. You could also refinance your house, sell your house and downsize, and sell cars or other property.
- Get help from family and friends. If you know anyone who’s able and willing to help you with expenses, including possibly moving in with family, be grateful and remember them in the future if they ever need help.
With all the financial strain you’re under, hiring a lawyer to help with your disability benefits may not seem possible. Lawyers are expensive, right?
You need to know this: You only pay your disability attorney when you win benefits.
Disability attorney fees come out of your back benefits when you finally win SSDI, not your pocket or your monthly benefits in the future. If you’re not approved for benefits, your attorney doesn’t get paid.
During your long wait, your attorney is your partner on this journey, there to answer your questions when Social Security is hard to communicate with and to care about you in system that seems uncaring.
Can’t work because of bad health? Slepian Ellexson will fight to get you the support you need for a better future.
Don’t delay. Contact an Arizona disability lawyer now.
