Initial Application Stage: 3 to 6 Months

Once you submit your initial SSDI application, it usually takes 3 to 6 months to receive a decision. During this time, your case is reviewed by California’s Disability Determination Service Division (DDSD), which evaluates your medical records and other documentation.

Factors that affect processing time:

• How quickly your doctors submit medical records
• Whether the SSA requests a consultative exam
• The volume of claims being processed in your region

Reconsideration Stage: 2 to 4 Months

If your initial application is denied (which happens to many applicants), you can file for reconsideration. This is a second review by someone who was not involved in the first decision.

Processing time for this stage is typically 2 to 4 months.

Hearing Stage: 9 to 18 Months

If your claim is denied again after reconsideration, you can request a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ). This is where many applicants are finally approved—but it’s also where the wait time increases significantly.

• In California, the wait time for a hearing can range from 9 to 18 months, depending on your hearing office’s backlog
• After the hearing, you may wait another 2 to 3 months for the judge’s decision

Faster Decisions Are Possible in Certain Cases

Some applications are flagged for expedited processing:

• Compassionate Allowances (CAL): For serious medical conditions like ALS or certain cancers
• Terminal illness (TERI) cases
• Dire need cases where the applicant faces extreme hardship (e.g., homelessness or lack of access to medicine)

These cases may be approved in a few weeks to a few months.