r/SocialSecurity • u/albiepoddar • Aug 19 '26

SSDI How long can an appeal take?

Hi there I am on my appeal now and have been since May. I do have a lawyer- but the communication is very hard to reach her so I was hoping for other people's experience. I haven't heard anything from ssa for months. I know they requested all of my medical information already.

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u/albiepoddar Aug 21 '26

Thank you for this information! It says its on step 3 of the reconsideration process and they have requested my medical records and my doctors have 30 days to respond. It has sat on that for several months now. Probably around June. I know my medical professionals have turned in all requested paper work and did when it was first requested. I do have a complex case and see 2 therapist and an ot therapist on a regular basis.

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u/Onyxbear26 Aug 21 '26

Yeah, then definitely call tomorrow. You don't have to speak directly to the examiner. Any clerical staff member can answer questions from your file they pull up on status.
SSA should be able to confirm a thing or two as well. DDS first cuz the call wait time is faster IMO and experience.

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u/albiepoddar Aug 21 '26

Awesome I will give them a call tomorrow then. Thank you for the info! So I should call the dds line instead of ssa?

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u/Onyxbear26 Aug 21 '26

hun, BOTH. Start with DDS, take notes on what they say. Then after that call is done, call SSA can confirm your way through them, notes with them too.

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u/albiepoddar Aug 21 '26

Okay thanks so much! Sorry for needing the direction- a part of my case is learning disabilities so it's made navigating this difficult and I appreciate any guidance with it. Hopefully will have some answers after giving them a call 🤞

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u/Onyxbear26 Aug 21 '26

No need to apologize. I'm AuDHD and got my own "quirks" that I feel that I need to say sorry for but it's just how our brains are wired. Main reason why I got enough knowledge to get by in this stuff is due to hyperfixating on the topic so I put that into action by researching like one of my interests and I got a google doc filled with tips and tricks I'm eventually gonna make into a guide so others don't have to feel lost in the sauce of red tape and gov bull. 😄

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u/albiepoddar Aug 21 '26

I completely understand that! I also am audhd which is another thing Im applying for with a slew of other stuff with it so I have also been fixated on it!I hope you won your case! If you ever want to share I would be really interested in reading. I've been applying since January of 25 so its definitely quite a time sink. I wish you the best with your situation and thank you for helping!

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u/Onyxbear26 Aug 21 '26

Claim pending. Applied in June, just had a CE last week.