The time between becoming disabled and being approved for Social Security disability benefits can be one of the most trying experiences in a person’s life. The process of claiming Social Security benefits is long and difficult. On top of that, 64.4% of disability claims in Wisconsin are initially denied. Of these denials, fewer than one in five (17.6%) will be overturned during the initial reconsideration. Most of the disability claims which are approved in Wisconsin are approved during the actual hearing before an administrative law judge. The hearing is the one time during the claims and appeals process when you can make your case in person before a representative of the SSA. There are two hearing offices in Wisconsin. One is in Madison, and the other is in Milwaukee.
Wisconsin is known for being tough in Social Security disability hearings. Only 46.5% of claims are approved at a hearing. Compare that to the national average of 58% and you’ll realize that you need to give yourself every advantage possible going in to your hearing before the ALJ. You’ll have plenty of time to prepare, in most cases. Wisconsin residents wait 335 days, on average, before they receive a hearing before an ALJ. This is actually slightly faster than the national average of 350 days. Here are the average wait times and approval rates of the two hearing offices:
| Hearing Office | Approval Rate | Processing Time in Days |
| Madison | 37.4% | 285 |
| Milwaukee | 37.5% | 385 |
There are 21 administrative law judges in Wisconsin. These 21 handle all of the Social Security disability hearings for the state. Two of them work out of both offices. Of the other nineteen, fourteen work out of the Milwaukee office and five work out of the Madison office. Administrative law judges are allowed more discretion in their decision making processes than any other representatives of the Social Security Administration. On one hand, this is what makes your chances of approval considerably better at this stage. On the other hand, approval often depends on presenting your claim in the way that will best sway a particular ALJ. The best way to give yourself an advantage is to find a local Social Security lawyer who is familiar with both the laws regarding Social Security disability and the administrative law judges that preside over cases in his area. For more information on hiring a disability representative in your area, please click on one of the cities listed below:
You are entitled to representation during your hearing. To receive a free initial consultation and case evaluation, submit the information requested on the form on this page.
