Important Social Security Statistics*                        Back to Home
 
Percentage of denials at each stage of the process:
        Initial Determination  60% Denied
        Reconsideration  84% Denied
        Administrative Law Judge Hearing  37% Denied -- Denial rate less here because of representation.
        Appeals Council  80% Denied
   
Length of time from the time you file to the time a decision is communicated to you:
        Initial Determination  106.1 Days ( 3.5 months - a little over a quarter of a year)
        Reconsideration    94.6 Days ( 3.2 months - a little over a quarter of a year)
        Administrative Law Judge Hearing   294   Days ( 9.8 months - more than three quarters of a year)
        Appeals Council   477   Days ( 15.9 months - Almost a year and a quarter)
 
* Statistics take from the Social Security Administration's own web site