The average lengths of time up to May of 2008 for Social Security disability claimants to get a hearing after a hearing is requested, has been received through the Freedom of Information Act. The times are by hearing office. Long delays in processing cases is the number one complaint leveled by patient-claimants against the Social Security Administration.

      As of May 2008, the average length of time it took to get a hearing after a request for a hearing was 506 days (17 months) from the date one asked for a hearing.

      Despite former commissioner Jo Anne Barnhart's pledge to speed up processing times with the use of electronic technology, they have in fact lengthened to an all-time high. To be fair, conversion is continuing as this is written.

      In 2008, only one of the 141 hearing offices met the Administration's goal of 250 days (8.3 months) from the time one asks for a hearing to the time one gets a hearing--Stockton, CA.

      Offices taking between 9 and 10 months on average are Philadelphia East, Houston Downtown, Shreveport, Honolulu, Las Vegas, and Sacramento.

      Offices taking between 10 and 11 months are Hartford, Providence, Charleston, WV, and Dover.

      Processing times between 11 and 12 months were achieved by Boston, Huntington, Richmond, VA, Salt Lake City, Los Angeles Downtown and West, and Orange.

      Those hearing offices achieving average processing times between 12 and 13 months are New Haven, CT, Portland, ME, Queens, San Juan, Johnstown, Philadelphia, New Orleans, Kingsport, TN, Billings, Pasadena, San Bernadino, San Francisco, San Rafael, Santa Barbara, and Tucson.

      The slowest processing time was 2 years, 4 months, for Columbus, OH. Other worst offenders are Oak Brook (29 months), Lansing (27.3 months), Greenville, NC (27 months), Indianapolis (26 months), Cleveland (25 months), Dayton (25 months), Flint (24.6 months), Peoria (24.2 months), Oak Park (24 months), Evansville (24 months), and Madison (23.4 months).

      The Social Security Administration does not track the length of time it takes to get through the Reconsideration level. A test has been going on for 8 years in the states of AL, AK, CA, LA (Los Angeles West and North, CO, MI, MO, NH, NY (Brooklyn and Albany) and PA. These states have eliminated the Reconsideration step to see if case processing can be speeded up by skipping this level.

      The Social Security Administration is sensitive to 4 conditions which should put a case closer to the front of the line. They are:
1) The patient is terminally ill;
2) The patient is without, or is unable to obtain food, medicine or shelter, or
3) There is an indication that the patient is homicidal or suicidal;
4) The case has been delayed an inordinate amount of time, longer than
the average processing time.

      The patient-claimant should address his or her circumstances to the Chief Administrative Law Judge via certified mail. After sending, a follow-up call should be made to find out whether the change of status has been made. If not, you should mention your mailing date and the date of receipt, as well as the your reasons for requesting the change in status.

Hearing Office	2005 July (In Months)	2008 May (In Months)
Albany, NY	11	19.4
Albuquerque, NM	13.5	15
Alexandria, LA	12	15.4
Atlanta, GA	19.5	25
Baltimore, MD	13.5	16.3
Billings, MT	13	13
Birmingham, AL	15	20
Boston, MA	12.5	11.4
Bronx, NY	21	19.2
Brooklyn, NY	20	16.5
Buffalo, NY	20	23
Chamblee, GA	29	22
Charleston, SC	11	19
Charleston, WV	10.5	10.4
Charlotte, NC	20	23
Charlottsville, VA	12	15
Chattanooga, TN	14	14.2
Chicago (S), IL	20	19.3
Cincinnati, OH	16	21
Cleveland, OH	14	25
Colorado Springs, CO	9	15
Columbia, SC	14	18
Columbus, OH	21	28
Creve Coeur, MO	12	16.2
Dallas (DT), TX	12	14.4
Dallas (N), TX	14.5	14.4
Dayton, OH	19	25
Denver, CO	14	16
Des Moines, IA	14	16
Detroit, MI	25	21
Dover, DE	9	15.3
Downey, CA	5	13
Elkins Park, PA	12.5	14.5
Eugene, OR	19	16.3
Evanston, IL	17	16
Evansville, IN	13	24
Fargo, ND	11.5	15.7
Flint, MI	21	24.6
Florence, AL	14.5	20.7
Fort Lauderdale, FL	13	12.2
Fort Smith, AR	11.5	13.2
Fort Wayne, IN	19	21
Fort Worth, TX	12	11.5
Fresno, CA	14	11
Grand Rapids, MI	14	23
Greensboro, NC	15	23
Greenville, NC	15	27
Harrisburg, PA	11	9.6
Hartford, CT	12.5	14
Hattiesburg, MS	12	17.3
Honolulu, HI	9	9
Houston (DT), TX	15	9.5
Houston, TX	15	17.6
Huntington, WV	12	11.7
Indianapolis, IN	17	26
Jackson, MS	21	25.7
Jacksonville, FL	17	15.7
Jericho, NY	14	21
Johnstown, PA	12	13.2
Kansas City, MO	17	24.7
Kingsport, TN	9	12.4
Knoxville, TN	14.5	19
Lansing, MI	20	27.3
Las Vegas, NV	11	9.7
Lexington, KY	12.5	14
Little Rock, AR	12	13
Long Beach, CA	14	14.7
Los Angeles (DT), CA	11	11.7
Los Angeles (W), CA	11	11.7
Louisville, KY	11	17.3
Macon, GA	14	18
Madison, WI	16	23.4
Manchester, NH	13.5	15.8
Mayaguez, PR	22	0
McAlester, OK	10	13.4
Memphis, TN	9.5	16
Metairie, LA	15	15
Miami FL	21	21
Middlesboro, KY	11	17.6
Milwaukee, WI	16	21.3
Minneapolis, MN	16	19.3
Mobile, Al	14.5	16.8
Montgomery, Al	15.5	19.7
Morgantown, WV	11	13.2
Nashville, TN	15	20.5
New Haven, CT	12.5	12
New Orleans, LA	13	12
New York, NY	15.5	17
Newark, NJ	12.5	14
Norfolk, VA	10	13.2
Oak Brook, IL	19	25
Oak Park, MI	19	24
Oakland, CA	12	16
Oklahoma City, OK	14.5	15
Omaha, NE	12	21
Orange, CA	15	11
Orland Park, IL	12.5	20
Orlando, FL	15.5	16.3
Paducah, KY	9	16
Pasadena, CA	15	13
Peoria, IL	21	24
Philadelphia (E), PA	21	12.7
Philadelphia, PA	10	10
Phoenix, AZ	16	13.6
Pittsburgh, PA	15	15.3
Ponce, PR	17.5	17.3
Portland, ME	12.5	12.4
Portland, OR	19.5	21.6
Providence, RI	14	10.7
Queens, NY	21	12.8
Raleigh, NC	19	19
Richmond, VA	13	11.7
Roanoke, VA	14	11
Sacramento, CA	11	10
Salt Lake City, UT	14	19
San Antonio, TX	16	14
San Bernadino, CA	11	11.5
San Diego, CA	12	18.4
San Francisco, CA	18	12.4
San Jose, CA	12	14
San Juan, PR	21	12.5
San Rafael, CA	14.5	12.7
Santa Barbara, CA	15	12.7
Savannah, GA	15	17
Seattle, WA	20	18.7
Shreveport, LA	10	9.4
Spokane, WA	17	16
Springfield, MA	12	13.6
Springfield, MO	15	21.2
St. Louis, MO	13	15.7
Stockton, CA	12	8.8
Syracuse, NY	11	21.6
Tampa, FL	17	23
Tucson, AZ	12	12.6
Tulsa, OK	13	15
Tupelo, MS	13	18.7
Voorhees, NJ	13	19.2
Washington, DC	15	10.2
White Plains, NY	16	14
Wichita, KS	13	15.6
Wilkes-Barre, PA	14	13.5

Average processing times for cases from the date one files for a hearing to the hearing date:
2000 to 2008

	Actual
2000	505 days
2001	447 days
2002	412 days
2003	294 Days
2008	506 Days

Beginning FY 2000, this indicator was redefined to represent the average elapsed time, from the hearing request date until the date of the notice of the decision, of all hearings level cases processed during all months of the fiscal year. Data Source: Hearing Office Tracking System - per PricewaterhouseCoopers during their audit of KPI 11/7/03