Social Security Disability Denial Rates or What are my chances to win SSDI or SSI?
This page will list the approval rates for SSDI and SSI disability at application and reconsideration
for each state. You can also determine the denial rate from these numbers. I listed below the average winning percentages
for each state and the individual local offices averages may be different. At the very bottom of the page, you will find
the percentage of cases that win and lose at all stages nationally.
I am including this information in the
website because I am frequently asked if everyone is denied when they first apply and what are my chances of winning?
When looking at the statistics on keep in mind that these are averages and every case is different the approval and denial
rates may not be indicative of your local SSA office. In my experience, I find that those that win at the early
stages are fully developed files that show an individual meets a listing or is disabled under the GRID rules. In fact,
58% of SSD or SSI claims that won did so by meeting or equaling the
listing of impairments. This is why I feel it is important to have a
lawyer for ssdi or ssi as early in the process as possible. If you leave the development of your file up to SSA you will certainly decrease
your chances of winning at these early stages of the process. If you decide not to get a lawyer you must do everything
you can to get all your medical records in and make sure you understand
how SSA will determine if you are disabled.
FREE DISABILITY CASE EVALUATION
If you need help call me at 1-877-527-5529.
Percentage of Disability Claims That Win at Application and Reconsideration.
Below you will find the allowance rates (winning percentage) at the application and reconsideration level for each state.
The statistics are for the fiscal year 2008 and include SSD and SSI cases. You will find the name of the
state followed by the percentage of cases that won at application and the second number is the percentage of cases that won
at reconsideration. Many states no longer have the reconsideration stage and in these states your claim goes directly from
application to hearing if you lose at application and appeal.
The numbers below are the percentage of Social Security Disability and SSI cases that won. The first number
is approval rates at application and the second number is approval rates at reconsideration.
1. National 36.0 and 13.8
2. Iowa 32.4 and 12.2
3. Kansas 36.0 and 16.2
4. Missouri
33.6 and 28.3
5. Nebraska 37.3 and 12.0
6. Colorado 34.9 and 21.5
7. Montana 41.6 and 14.6
8. North Dakota 38.2 and 12.7
9. South Dakota 35.8 and 11.6
10. Utah 44.3 and 15.6
11. Wyoming
48.0 and 10.4
12. Arizona 36.9 and 20.0
13. California 39.0 and 12.9
14. Hawaii 52.6 and 25.2
15. Nevada 42.7 and 22.6
16. Arkansas 42.9 and 28.0
17. Idaho 39.2 and 10.4
18. Oregon
37.4 and 13.2
19. Washington 39.7 and 10.7
20. Connecticut 33.1 and 14.7
21. Massachusetts 45.7
and 29.0
22. Maine 35.7 and 15.5
23. New Hampshire 51.9 and 36.4
24. Rhode Island 38.2 and 18.2
25. Vermont 48.1 and 15.9
26. New Jersey 45.0 and 20.8
27. New York 44.3 and 51.2
28. Puerto
Rico 43.7 and 28.1
29. Delaware 44.5 and 15.0
30. District of Columbia 44.6 and 22.1
31. Maryland
37.6 and 20.0
32. Pennsylvania 36.7 and 27.9
33. Virginia 39.6 and 14.3
34. West Virginia 26.4
and 10.2
35. Alabama 31.8 and 22.3
36. Florida 33.6 and 14.0
37. Georgia 24.9 and 10.3
38. Kentucky
28.8 and 7.7
39. Mississippi 24.5 and 6.9
40. North Carolina 30.9 and 13.2
41. South Carolina
31.1 and 15.3
42. Tennessee 25.1 and 8.7
43. Illinois 35.6 and 14.1
44. Indiana 36.2 and 6.8
45. Michigan 30.2 and 27.7
46. Minnesota 37.4 and 12.4
47. Ohio 27.1 and 10.5
48. Wisconsin
40.3 and 17.8
49. Arkansas 36.1 and 11.1
50. Louisiana 36.6 and 25.7
51. New Mexico 36.4 and
13.2
52. Oklahoma 39.7 and 14.6
53. Texas 42.5 and 20.1
Below is a look at the winning and losing percentages at application and reconsideration for the Fiscal Year 2006. I
am leaving these numbers so you can compare them to the 2008 percentages of cases that won to see how the percentages
change from year to year.
FISCAL
YEAR 2006
INITIAL DISABILITY CLAIM
Initial and Reconsideration Adjudicative Levels
Allowance and Denial Rates
by State
TOTAL- Title II, Title XVI, & Concurrent
Initial Level
Recon Level
Allow Rate % Denial Rate %
Allow Rate % Denial Rate %
NATION
35.2
64.8
13.2
86.8
AK
42.9
57.1
31.3
68.8
AL
28.2
71.8
26.8
73.2
AR
32.2
67.8
12.0
88.0
AZ
40.2
59.8
29.7
70.3
CA
43.4
56.6
16.2
83.8
CO
30.5
69.5
17.0
83.0
CT
36.7
63.3
15.7
84.3
DC
53.7
46.3
36.2
63.8
DE
47.9
52.1
17.1
82.9
FL
33.7
66.3
14.2
85.8
GA
25.0
75.0
11.0
89.0
HI
53.2
46.8
36.6
63.4
IA
31.1
68.9
11.7
88.3
ID
38.1
61.9
9.1
90.9
IL
32.9
67.1
9.9
90.1
IN
31.0
69.0
6.9
93.1
KS
28.2
71.8
10.8
89.2
KY
30.1
69.9
9.3
90.7
LA
36.1
63.9
27.3
72.7
MA
45.1
54.9
28.0
72.0
MD
33.8
66.2
14.4
85.6
ME
37.6
62.4
17.9
82.1
MI
29.0
71.0
26.5
73.5
MN
40.5
59.5
14.8
85.2
MO
29.8
70.2
24.2
75.8
MS
25.1
74.9
6.1
93.9
MT
36.5
63.5
14.8
85.2
NC
29.8
70.2
10.9
89.1
ND
38.6
61.4
10.7
89.3
NE
32.7
67.3
9.6
90.4
NH
58.7
41.3
37.8
62.2
NJ
46.6
53.4
20.2
79.8
NM
40.6
59.4
14.6
85.4
NV
48.4
51.6
28.9
71.1
NY
43.0
57.0
17.8
82.2
OH
26.6
73.4
10.9
89.1
OK
36.4
63.6
15.5
84.5
OR
29.6
70.4
9.0
91.0
PA
40.8
59.2
33.2
66.8
PR
36.0
64.0
18.7
81.3
RI
42.8
57.2
17.4
82.6
SC
23.3
76.7
8.6
91.4
SD
33.1
66.9
12.4
87.6
TN
22.8
77.2
6.4
93.6
TX
38.7
61.3
18.1
81.9
UT
35.3
64.7
11.6
88.4
VA
44.4
55.6
15.5
84.5
VT
49.5
50.5
17.1
82.9
WA
38.4
61.6
12.2
87.8
WI
33.5
66.5
13.5
86.5
WV
29.5
70.5
11.1
88.9
WY
40.9
59.1
11.7
88.3
Source:
FY 2006 DIODS EXTRACT
The statistics above can be a little depressing if you are applying for SSDI or SSI.
Remember winning percentages and denial rates do not tell the whole story and every case is different. Those who are committed
to winning there claim should become knowledgeable about the law or get a lawyer to help them and this should
increase their odds. The following page is a good place to start for more information on Social Security Disability.
Won and Lost at Application, Reconsideration, Hearing, Appeals Council, and USDCT
To give you an overall picture of the percentage of cases that win or lose at different stages of the process I've included
the national statistics for decisions processed in the year 2008 by the office of Disability Program Management Information.
Nationally
at application the allowance rate was 36% and the denial rate was 64%. At reconsideration 14% of the cases one and 86% lost.
At the hearing level the winning percentage was 63% with a 16% dismissal rate and 21% denial rate. At the appeals Council
the allowance rate was 2%, another 2% were dismissed, 22% were remanded for a new hearing and 73% lost. At the federal court
level there was a 5% allowance rate, 8% were dismissed, 47% were remanded for a new hearing and 40% were denied.