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Serious question, hit 18 months of waiting on my SSDI hearing date
I got my initial denial back in March 2022. Finally got a lawyer in San Diego. She told me appeals usually take 12 to 15 months. Well I just hit 18 months waiting for a hearing date with the ALJ. That number surprised me. My lawyer said her average clients wait 14 months tops. I started calling the local ODAR office every two weeks. Has anyone else had a wait stretch way past what their lawyer said was normal?
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rileyb613mo ago
Did your lawyer give you any tips on what to say when you call ODAR? I've been calling every two weeks too but I feel like I'm just getting the same "still pending" script every time lol.
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patriciah513mo ago
Man, @rileyb61, you hit on something there. My lawyer flat out told me to just ask if they had any updates and to not push for specifics. She said the clerks are swamped and being friendly gets you further than demanding answers. I started calling every two weeks too, and honestly it felt like talking to a wall. Then one day I called and this lady answered who sounded like she'd been there since the 80s. She asked if I was sitting down and then told me my case had been assigned to an ALJ that morning, just not scheduled yet. Took another 10 weeks after that for an actual date. So yeah, keep calling but don't expect them to say anything helpful most of the time. The whole system moves on its own clock, not yours.
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