How long does an SSDI application take?
Social Security does not publish one national wait time for every claim. SSDI usually has a five-month waiting period, counted from the date Social Security finds your disability began, and the first payment comes in the sixth full month after that date. How long the decision itself takes varies. SSA has a tool that estimates that wait.
On this page
Two clocks get mixed together. One is how long Social Security takes to decide. The other is the five-month waiting period, which counts from the onset date Social Security finds. They are not the same number.
The five-month waiting period
The eligibility page says there is generally a five-month waiting period, and that the first SSDI payment comes in the sixth full month after the date Social Security finds your disability began. That date can be earlier than the day you filed. Social Security may pay for as many as 12 months before the application date if you were disabled then and you meet the other rules.
The apply page repeats the same rule: payments will not begin before the sixth full month of disability. There is no waiting period if the disability is amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and you are approved for SSDI on or after July 23, 2020.
SSI is different. SSI disability payments, when you qualify, are for the first full month after you file, or later if that is when you become eligible.
How long the decision takes
Social Security does not give one nationwide number that covers every initial claim. Decision time depends on the state Disability Determination Services office, the kind of claim, and whether more medical evidence is needed. Some claims move faster: Compassionate Allowances and Quick Disability Determinations are the two paths named on the eligibility page.
The apply page includes a tool titled "See how long it might take to get a Disability decision." Use that for a current estimate. A number you heard from a neighbor is not a rule.
What you can do while you wait
Apply as soon as you become disabled, even if records are still coming. That is the instruction on the apply page. Send new medical evidence when you have it. If a letter asks you to go to a consultative exam, go. Missing that exam is a common reason a file stalls.
What to do when you need to file is the order for the application itself.
If the first decision is a no
Appeal time is a third clock. You generally have 60 days from when you receive the notice. Reconsideration and a hearing each add their own wait. What if Social Security denies my claim? covers those deadlines.
If you want someone on the file while it sits, how to choose a disability representative explains the appointment and the fee cap.
Sources
Where our facts come from
Who wrote this page
- Written by
- First Claim Guide editorial staff. Who runs this site
- Licensed professional
- None. No disability attorney or SSA-authorized representative has checked this page.
Ask about the first filing
A disability representative who serves your area may call about the claim. The call does not file anything or hire them.