As a Social Security disability attorney or advocate, you know the benefit of signing a claimant with a case that takes years to eventually be approved. You’ll typically receive more back pay. But did you realize that by the time a claim reaches the ALJ hearing, you’ll almost always receive your full $6,000 in legal fees?
It takes the average initial claim four months to be denied, a reconsideration request another four months, and a staggering 19 months for an ALJ hearing to be scheduled. All totaled, this equals 22 months of back pay (subtracting the five months of payment the SSA never grants), which is well over what your firm would need to receive the full $6,000 at the average SSDI payment of $1,200. Higher earners and applicants with dependents will be entitled to even larger payments.
If the average approval process leaves your firm losing income, consider targeting fast-processing ODAR offices. These locations schedule hearings in record time, allowing you to receive your payments faster.
ODAR Locations with the Fastest Hearing Times
Arkansas, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, and Texas have the fastest processing times in the country, but even within these states, some ODAR offices schedule hearings faster than others. The quickest hearing schedules still average about 10 to 12 months before an applicant has the opportunity to argue his or her eligibility before an ALJ, so your firm will have plenty of time to accrue back pay.
Centers with wait times of one year or less include:
- Fort Smith, Arkansas
- Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- Providence, Rhode Island
- Dallas, Texas, north office
- Houston, Texas, north office
A number of states have wait times of about 13 months to a year and a half. These include Tennessee, Virginia, Maine, and Alaska, among others. The quickest ODAR centers in these states include those in:
- Middlesboro, Tennessee
- Alexandria, Virginia
- Portland, Maine
- Anchorage, Alaska
Supplementing your caseload in areas with faster approval times will give your firm the best of both worlds: You’ll still receive cases that will likely go to court and have a hefty portion of back pay owed, but your firm will have a quicker revenue turnaround and better cash flow.
States With Slow ODAR Offices
It’s not always possible to take cases from the nation’s best offices, but there are some areas with exceptionally long wait times. States with the longest appeal hearing waits include California, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. Applicants served by the most backlogged ODAR centers will wait more than two years for a hearing, which is wasted time for your firm as you’ll be well over your back pay limit.
These offices include:
- California – San Diego and San Bernardino
- New Jersey – Newark and South Jersey
- New York – Buffalo, Long Island, Queens, Rochester, and Syracuse
- Pennsylvania – Philadelphia and Pittsburgh
Increase Your Caseload and Pinpoint ODAR Offices
eGenerationMarketing has been a leader in the legal lead industry since 2009. We allow our clients to select leads by state, area code, or three-digit zip code prefix. This means you can target as big (or as small) of an area as you’d like to increase your caseload with high-quality leads on whatever budget you set.
To discuss our Social Security lead pricing and availability today, give us a call at 617.800.0089. We’d be happy to help your firm increase its revenue today.