How Long Does SSDI Take to Get Approved?
A first SSDI decision takes 6 to 8 months in Social Security’s own estimate, and averaged 185 days, about 6 months, in September 2026. If you’re denied, reconsideration averaged 201 days, and a hearing before a judge 287 days on top of that, so a claim that goes all the way to a hearing typically takes about two years. Once approved, benefits start with the sixth full month after your disability began, and the first payment and back pay usually arrive within a few weeks to three months.
Wait times at each stage
| Stage | Average processing time, September 2026 | Time you have to appeal |
|---|---|---|
| Initial decision | 185 days | 60 days after a denial |
| Reconsideration | 201 days | 60 days after a denial |
| Hearing before a judge | 287 days (270 days for fiscal year 2026) | 60 days after a denial |
| Appeals Council | No published average | 60 days to go to federal court |
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These are Social Security’s performance figures. Initial decisions were 24 days faster than in September 2025, while hearings were slower, up from 278 days. The 60-day appeal windows also add time if you use them, and appeals are counted from when you file them, not from the denial.
For a claim that’s denied twice and approved at a hearing, the stages alone add up to about 673 days, plus up to a few months of time spent filing each appeal and getting the hearing scheduled.
Why your wait may be shorter or longer
Social Security lists four things that change how long a first decision takes: the nature of your disability, how quickly your doctors send records, whether you need a consultative exam, and whether the claim is pulled for a quality review.
Where you live matters most. Initial decisions are made by your state’s disability agency, and Social Security’s estimates of the wait for a first decision ranged from about 4 months in Puerto Rico to 12 months in Alaska, Maryland and South Carolina in October 2026.
Some claims move much faster. Conditions on the Compassionate Allowances list, such as many advanced cancers and ALS, are flagged for quick decisions because the medical evidence is clear.
After you’re approved
Approval doesn’t mean you’re paid from the day you applied:
- Benefits start with the sixth full month after the date Social Security decides your disability began. The first five full months are a waiting period that’s never paid. There’s no waiting period for ALS.
- Each month’s benefit is paid the following month.
- Back pay for months already owed usually arrives as one deposit within about 30 to 90 days of the award notice, often around the same time as the first regular payment. It can reach up to 12 months before the month you applied.
- Medicare starts after 24 months of entitlement to disability benefits, or with the first month of benefits for ALS.
For example, if Social Security finds your disability began on June 15 and you’re approved, your first month of benefits is December, paid in January. If the decision comes the following September, December through August is back pay.
What to do while you wait
- Check your claim status in your my Social Security account. A claim can sit at one step for weeks; contact your local office if nothing changes for a long time.
- Return every form and attend every exam on time. Missing a consultative exam or a function report deadline is a common reason for delays and denials.
- Keep seeing your doctors. Ongoing treatment records are the evidence that decides most claims.
- If you’re 62 or older, you can take reduced retirement benefits while the claim is pending, and Social Security switches you to the higher disability benefit if you’re approved.
- If your income and savings are very low, apply for SSI at the same time; it has no five-month waiting period and in most states comes with Medicaid.
If you’re denied, appeal within 60 days rather than filing a new application. A new application starts the clock over, while an appeal keeps your original filing date and the back pay tied to it.