Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits exist to protect working professionals. People who become unable to support themselves due to medical issues can apply for SSDI benefits to replace their lost income.
Some people who might qualify for SSDI benefits convince themselves that applying is a waste of time. They may have heard from others that every applicant gets rejected. How many applicants are actually successful?
Federal statistics provide a clear picture
The Social Security Administration (SSA) strives for transparency. As such, the organization provides numerous important statistics to the public. Applicants can check average wait times for different SSA offices when they appeal unfavorable determinations.
They can also look at approval rates. Between 2010 and 2019, roughly four out of five applicants received rejection notices initially. The SSA averaged a 21% initial approval rate during that decade.
However, many of those rejected applicants went on to appeal the decision that was not in their favor. Approximately 2% of applicants receive benefits through the reconsideration process.
When reconsideration is unsuccessful, applicants can ask for a hearing in front of an administrative law judge. Roughly 8% of applicants, on average, receive their benefits through an appeals hearing every year.
Applicants can also appeal beyond those two initial stages, although they account for a very small percentage of successful applications. Overall, the final average approval rating is 31% of applicants. While many people do not qualify for SSDI benefits when they apply, enough do to make the application process worthwhile.
People struggling with medical challenges may benefit from having support as they apply for SSDI benefits. Learning more about the process could help people with challenging medical conditions successfully pursue benefits that could help to ensure their financial stability.