In the state of Indiana, 29.7% of new social security disability cases are awarded. Workers who are applying for SSD benefits for the first time will soon find that the application process is complex and the chances of being awarded benefits are far less than the likelihood of being denied. From state to state, the average award rate for initial social security disability claims is 32%. Cases that are denied and sent back to the Social Security Administration (SSA) for reconsideration are approved only about 11% of the time nationally and a mere 5% of the time in the state of Indiana. It is generally a good idea to Request a Hearing if your first appeal is denied. The hearing process allows you the opportunity to have your case reviewed by an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) at an ODAR or local hearing office in the state. There are four hearing offices in the state of Indiana, located in Fort Wayne, Indianapolis, Evansville and Valparaiso.
The average time it takes to process a hearing request nationally is 349 days. In Indiana the time you can expect to wait to have your hearing processed is 355 days. Once your case has been heard, you have a 52.7% chance of your Indiana social security disability case being awarded. Nationally that percentage is a little higher at 58.1% but approval rates vary from state to state and hearing office to hearing office. The table below represents the average approval rates and processing times for each of the local SSD hearing offices in the state of Indiana.
| Hearing Office | Approval Rate | Processing Time in Days |
| Indianapolis | 46.3% | 376 |
| Fort Wayne | 49.4% | 322 |
| Valparaiso | 40.5% | 335 |
| Evansville | 47.9% | 386 |
Cases decided at the above list of hearing offices are reviewed by one of 36 ALJs serving in Indiana. There are 12 judges in Indianapolis, 12 judges in Valparaiso, 6 judges in Fort Wayne and 6 judges in Evansville. Working with a social security disability attorney in Indiana who has experience attending SSD hearings will afford you the opportunity to take advantage of the attorney’s knowledge of the best ways to present your disability case to individual judges. Click on the city closest to you for more information on hiring an Indiana social security attorney in your area:
- Bloomington, IN
- Carmel, IN
- Evansville, IN
- Gary, IN
- Hammond, IN
- Indianapolis, IN
- Fishers, IN
- Fort Wayne, IN
- South Bend, IN
To receive information on the best ways to handle your Indiana social security disability case or to schedule a free consultation, complete the evaluation form found on this site. Remember that all initial consultations are free and you will not incur any attorney’s fees unless your Indiana disability lawyer can win your case.
