Delaware social security disability benefits are paid to eligible workers who have sustained injuries which prevent them from working for at least one year. The process for obtaining SSD benefits can be complex. It requires the submission of not only a completed application, but also medical documentation which supports your disability claim. More often than not, Delaware DDS claims are denied the first time around. Only 36% of initial disability claims are awarded in the state of Delaware and 32.1% of claims awarded on average nationwide. Further, only about one in ten (10.3%) of Delaware disability cases that go up for reconsideration are awarded. For many applicants, their best chance at winning their disability case will be during the hearing process when cases that were denied during the appeal are then reviewed by an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ). In the state of Delaware, there is one hearing office wherein ALJs review social security disability cases. The hearing office is in Dover.
On average, an applicant should expect to spend a year or more having their case processed at the hearing level. The Dover office has an average hearing processing time of 370 days compared to the national average of 349 days. At the end of the wait, only 41.1% of Delaware SSD cases are awarded.
| Hearing Office | Approval Rate | Processing Time in Days |
| Dover | 33.6% | 370 |
There are currently five judges working from the Dover hearing office to review Delaware social security disability claims. A Delaware disability lawyer may be able to present a more convincing case before an ALJ if the attorney has experience attending hearings at the Dover office. Click on the city closest to your for more formation about hiring an SSD attorney in Delaware:
For information on how to receive a free consultation from a local DE social security disability attorney, please complete the evaluation form found on this site. You are under no obligation to retain services and all initial consultations are free. You will not incur any attorney’s fees unless your disability lawyer is able to win your case.
