Chances of Winning a Disability (SSDI) Case in Washington Heights New York

81%

Good news, your chances of winning a Disability (SSDI) case are pretty good if you live in Washington Heights! Those who file a claim for SSDI or SSI and stick with it through the hearing stage won their case approximately 81% of the time. The bad news is that it could take one to three years (or more in extreme cases) to get approved for benefits. Yikes!

Where to File for Social Security Disability (SSDI) in Washington Heights

Social Security Disability (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) are the two forms of Disability Benefits that almost everyone can get if they become disabled. For more information on the SSA rules for disability click here. There are three ways to file for SSDI benefits in Washington Heights:

1. Online (SSDI only, but will save the date for a future SSI application) – go to SSA.gov and create an account if you don’t have one already. If you have one, log in and start the application.
2. In person – if you live in or near Washington Heights (zip codes 10032, 10033, 10034, 10040, or 10463) go to:2ND FLOOR
   4941 BROADWAY
   NEW YORK NY 10034
3. By Phone – call 1-800-772-1213.

Chances of Winning at the First Two Stages in New York

As mentioned above, Washington Heights is a pretty good place to file for Social Security Disability. Why? New York has above average allowance rates at the Initial and Reconsideration Stages, and because the case is almost always heard in the New York City – Federal Plaza (Manhattan) Hearing Office. The Federal Plaza Office of Hearing Operations (OHO) has judges with above average approval rates. But it usually takes two to three years to get to the hearing, unfortunately. Here is the breakdown of stages of a Social Security Disability (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) application/appeal from an SSDI Lawyer serving NYC:

1. Initial Stage: this is the stage when you first file your application. In New York, cases at the Initial Stage are being approved 41% of the time. 41% is a little better than the national average, which is 38.7%. If you get denied, you must file a Request for Reconsideration within 60 days to preserve your claim.
2. Reconsideration Stage: New York Requests for Reconsideration are approved at a much lower rate, namely 17%. Again, this is a little better than the national average of 15%. That means that approximately 49% of people that file for disability get denied at both of the first two stages and have to file a Request for Hearing in order to continue their claim. Note: those who give up after being denied have a 0% chance of being approved, you must appeal, SSA will not do it for you.

Chances of Winning at the Hearing Stage – SSDI Lawyer NYC

After the Reconsideration Stage, those who file a timely (60 days after receiving denial) Hearing Request will get a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ). The chances of winning a Disability (SSDI) or SSI claim at the hearing level in Washington Heights is a pretty good 62%! If you’d like to see the breakdown of case approval percentages by individual ALJ, click on Judge Ratings for Manhattan NY. Out of all the claimants that got denied at the first two levels, some of them dropped their claims or didn’t request a hearing, but those who stuck with it won their case approximately 81% of the time in Washington Heights, New York. Most of these 81% have a Disability lawyer serving NYC! If you need help with your application or appeal, contact us, an SSDI Lawyer serving NYC, for a free case evaluation.

Photo Source: By Shannon from New York – https://www.flickr.com/photos/shan213/3789281693/, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25381886