Disability determination processing time

Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income ("disability") benefits provide essential income for people with disabilities. We carefully review medical and work history to determine if someone’s eligible for disability benefits.

There are 3 major steps in the initial disability claims process:

Step 1: Field office checks to see if the customer meets basic non-medical requirements.
Step 2: State Disability Determination Services (DDS) checks to see if the customer’s medical condition meets the disability requirements.
Step 3: Field office approves or denies the claim and issues the decision letter.

The first and third steps occur at our field offices. The second and more detailed step occurs at the state level. Every state operates a DDS office funded by Social Security.

The SecurityStat process

Set a strategic goal.

On average, field offices should take a combined total of 19 days to do two things: first, to check the non-medical requirements, and then, after the DDS review, to make a decision.
DDS should complete its medical review within an average processing time of 180 days.

Add 400 more disability examiners nationwide.
Provide disability examiners with improved technology to gather and review medical evidence.
Encourage more customers to use SSA.gov to free up field office staff to help people who need more personalized assistance.

Disability determination average processing times

Disability determination average processing times

7-year trend

Stacked area chart showing the average number of days it takes to make initial disability determinations. The chart shows an increase in the processing times from 2017 to 2023.

This chart shows the average number of days it’s taken to process disability applications over the past 7 years. “Other” includes the average amount of time per claim spent in other steps within the application process that are not captured in steps 1, 2, and 3, such as quality review or transit time. Average processing times have increased since fiscal year 2020 as our state DDS offices have faced challenges maintaining staff. Average processing times further increased in fiscal year 2023 as we began focusing on claims from individuals who have waited the longest for a disability decision. Improving the time it takes a customer to receive an initial disability determination is also an Agency Priority Goal. View our action plan and quarterly updates at performance.gov.

October 2023 to Present

Stacked area chart showing the average number of days it takes to make initial disability <a href= determinations for each completed month of fiscal year 2024. The chart shows a slight increase over time in fiscal year 2024 with national processing times averaging about 236 days in July." width="1200" height="675" />

This chart shows the average number of days it’s taken to process disability applications each month of this fiscal year.

National and regional average processing times, February 2024 to Present

Line chart showing the average number of days it takes to make initial disability determinations by each region since launching the SecurityStat process in February 2024. As of July 2024, the chart shows that half of the ten regions have decreased monthly average processing times.

This chart shows the monthly average number of days to process disability applications, by region, and the national monthly average processing time since launching SecurityStat. The comparison points in the chart mark the average processing time at the start of the SecurityStat process in February 2024 and the most current month. Our Office of Operations is comprised of ten regions that manage frontline services at SSA offices and support the DDSs. Every region is comprised of multiple states. View our Office of Operations' organizational structure for more information about each region, including the states that fall under their jurisdiction.

Field office processing times, October 2023 to Present (Steps 1 and 3)

Heat map of the United States and territories showing field office geographies and their average initial disability claims processing time for fiscal year 2024. The majority of the areas have processing times of 19 days or less. Areas with processing times of 25 days or more are more concentrated in the Pacific Northwest and Southwest regions.

This map shows the average number of days it’s taken field offices to perform this work so far this fiscal year.

State DDS processing times, October 2023 to Present (Step 2)

Heat map of the United States and Puerto Rico showing state Disability Determination Services processing times for fiscal year 2024. Most states and Puerto Rico process initial disability determinations on average in less than 180 days with Southern states, some of the Rocky Mountains, and other select states on average taking more than 200 days in July.

The time it takes to process disability claims varies from state to state due to a variety of circumstances, like differences in staffing. This map shows the average number of days for each state to make an initial disability determination.