Many people in San Diego who apply for disability benefits wind up having their applications denied, even when they do have an injury or illness that keeps them out of work. In these circumstances, an applicant who needs benefits may need to request to have a review hearing before an Administrative Law Judge.
How long it takes to get in front of a judge depends to a large extent on where a person lives. For example, in San Diego, many people will wait for 17 months before getting a hearing. Compared to other sites in California, including Los Angeles, Fresno and San Francisco, the wait time in San Diego is relatively short. In North Los Angeles, for instance, the average wait time is 20 months, more than a year and a half.
However, when compared with many other large cities in the rest of the country, the San Diego hearing office has some room for improvement when it comes to wait time. For instance, in some large cities in other states, the average wait time for hearings is just a bit over six months.
Even with a carefully prepared application, it may still be necessary to ask for a review hearing to attempt to obtain Social Security disability benefits. The best step may be to anticipate the wait time and prepare carefully for the hearing for when it does take place. After all, a review hearing is usually the best opportunity for a San Diego resident to convince the Social Security Administration that he or she should receive disability benefits. As part of this process, it is critical to put together a careful argument with documents that prove a person’s illness or injury is debilitating.