When will I get a Decision?

How long does it take to get a hearing decision on your SSDI claim?

In Little Rock: 506 Days, on average.

Yes, you read that right – it takes well over a year and a half to receive a decision after requesting your ALJ disability hearing!

This is a measurement of time from when you first request a hearing (this is your 2nd appeal) until you get the judge’s decision letter.

Keep in mind, that this is an average time for case dispositions at the hearing level in Little Rock. This average includes those cases which have been expedited for dire need reasons. For cases that are not expedited, the actual time spent waiting can (and will) often be much higher than the average time reported.

Already had your hearing?

If you have already had your ALJ hearing, you can usually expect to receive a decision letter in about 2 to 3 months. There are many different variables that could extend the time this takes, however.

How does your local hearing office measure up?

You might be surprised to learn that the Little Rock office currently ranks 25th (out of 163 hearing offices) in the country, because it is faster than many hearing offices!

The San Juan office currently ranks last. Their average processing time for hearings is 883 days! (If you are in San Juan, we are so sorry.)

If you want to see how your local hearing office measures up, look for your hearing city in the chart below. These figures were taken from Social Security’s annual report called “Hearing Office Average Processing Time Ranking Report FY 2018.”