The application and review process to receive social security disability benefits in Michigan takes time, effort and attention to detail. Like most states, more than two-thirds of initial social security disability claims in Michigan are denied.
Michigan Initial Award Rate: 29.7% in Michigan (compared to 32.2% nationally)
Michigan Reconsideration Award Rate: 24.2% in Michigan
If your claim is denied initially, it is often beneficial to appeal and have your case reviewed by an administrative law judge (ALJ) in a local Michigan hearing office.
Michigan Local Hearing Offices
There are seven hearing offices in the state of Michigan where SSD cases are reviewed:
- Grand Rapids
- Oak Park
- Detroit
- Lansing
- Flint
- Livonia
- Mt. Pleasant
Approval Rates and Processing Times in Michigan by Hearing Office
Generally speaking, the processing time to get a hearing for your disability case is going to be around one year. In the state of Michigan the average amount of days that pass between the time you request a hearing and the time you actually have your case heard is 324 days. The national average is 349 days. At the hearing level, your chances of having your case awarded increase significantly:
Reconsideration Level Approval Rate: 24%
Hearing Level Approval Rate: 56.8% in Michigan (58.1% nationally).
Approval rates and processing times vary from office to office. You can review the chart below to find out the averages at local Michigan disability hearing offices.
| Hearing Office | Approval Rate | Processing Time in Days |
| Grand Rapids | 45.3% | 454 |
| Oak Park | 52.6% | 254 |
| Detroit | 36.6% | 291 |
| Lansing | 46.5% | 292 |
| Flint | 52.1% | 307 |
| Livonia | 52.5% | 291 |
| Mt. Pleasant | 47.0% | 381 |
Role of Administrative Law Judges in Michigan
Within the 7 hearing offices in the state of Michigan, there are 71 administrative law judges reviewing social security disability cases:
- Detroit: 13 judges
- Flint: 6 judges
- Grand Rapids: 9 judges
- Lansing: 7 judges
- Livonia: 10 judges
- Mt. Pleasant: 13 judges
- Oak Park: 13 judges
A Michigan disability lawyer with regular experience attending SSD hearings offers the added benefit of already having some insight on the behaviors and tendencies of the ALJs currently serving in local hearing offices.
Connect with a Michigan Disability Attorney Today
You can arrange to have a free consultation with a local SSD lawyer in Michigan by completing the free evaluation form that can be found on this site.
You are not obligated to hire an attorney. There is no charge for the consultation and you are never charged a fee for services unless you are awarded disability benefits.
Anyone living in Michigan can apply for SSI (or SSDI) at their closest Social Security office in Michigan.
For specific information on hiring a Social Security attorney in Michigan, click on the city closest to you below:
- Ann Arbor, MI
- Canton, MI
- Dearborn, MI
- Detroit, MI
- Farmington Hills, MI
- Flint, MI
- Grand Rapids, MI
- Kalamazoo, MI
- Lansing, MI
- Livonia, MI
- Southfield, MI
- Sterling Heights, MI
- Troy, MI
- Warren, MI
- Waterford, MI
- West Bloomfield Township, MI
- Westland, MI
- Wyoming, MI
For more info on qualifying for disability in Michigan, see How To Qualify For Disability In Michigan.
