Waiting for a Social Security disability hearing is a reality for many of our clients. For most of them, the wait can feel like an eternity. The Social Security Administration’s data reports that the average waiting period for a hearing in the Norfolk Office of Disability Adjudication and Review is now 20 months. That means if you filed your Request for Hearing in July 2015, you could still be waiting for your hearing. The wait for a hearing does vary over time. The most up to date information from the Social Security Administration regarding the current wait time can be found here: Average Wait Time Until Hearing Held Report.
We’re eager to help our clients and use our expertise to navigate the system. For instance, we know that some very limited circumstances may be eligible for expedited processing. Some of those situations include:
- Your illness is terminal.
- You received a 100 percent permanent and total (100% P&T) disability compensation rating from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
- You are/were a member of the military and were injured on or after October 1, 2001.
- Your condition qualifies for a “Compassionate Allowance” (for a list of qualifying conditions, refer to: Compassionate Allowances).
- You are without and unable to obtain food, medicine, or shelter.
- You are suicidal or homicidal.
If you believe any of these circumstances apply to you, please call us at 757-220-4529 to discuss the matter. If you don’t qualify, the good news is that when you get to your hearing you have your best chance of getting approved. But getting there is a bit of a journey. You need an experienced hand to help you navigate the bureaucracy of the Social Security system. Helping people receive the assistance they need to provide for basic necessities is a cause we’re glad to take on.
