The latest statistics for average processing time have been released by the SSA. The Manchester, NH Social Security hearing office has a wait time of 412 days, or about 14 months, for a decision.
Processing time runs from the day the hearing office receives your hearing request to the day a decision is issued. The 412 days is an average. Some claims are resolved more quickly. A claim that goes to hearing and a written decision may take longer.
While the average wait for a hearing decision in New Hampshire is 86 days longer than in Maine, New Hampshire is a prototype state that skips the intermediate Reconsideration step of the Social Security disability process. Since 4-5 months are not being lost in New Hampshire waiting for a Reconsideration determination, claims are actually moving from the initial denial to hearing more quickly than in Maine or Vermont.
Wow,that really stinks. My husband wants to move back to the UK (he's English) but I wanted to get this sorted before hand. I'm waiting on a date for a hearing....but we are really anxious to join the rest of his family back there. How would my moving overseas impact my case??
Posted by: Kathy | April 06, 2010 at 08:50 AM
Kathy,
Thank you for your comment. I can't imagine that moving overseas would help your case. In particular, it would interrupt your visits to the doctors here who have been treating you. These doctors can offer opinions to Social Security regarding your functional limitations. At a minimum, I would obtain these opinions from your doctors prior to moving overseas.
Posted by: Maine Social Security attorney Gordon Gates | April 09, 2010 at 01:31 PM