New York and Social Security Disability Benefits

ALL STATE DATA UPDATED FOR 2024!

Everyone’s experience applying for Social Security Disability benefits will be unique. Part of this is because everyone’s individual medical and work history is different. But, potential applicants should also know that each state – like New York – has its own story to tell in terms of social security disability benefit approval rates at each stage of the process, as well as waiting times at the hearing stage.

Why is State-by-State Information Important?

Specialized disability advocates (like us here at Citizens Disability) and New York social security disability attorneys know all too well how important it is to understand that every state is different. It’s very helpful to know what the trends are, how long the wait times are from office to office, and what the different rates of approvals are.

Citizens Disability takes a data-driven approach to helping our clients. We want to make sure that we’re giving our clients the best possible advice at every step in the application process. We also work very hard to present the best possible case for each of our clients. Bringing together data from a wide variety of sources – including data like this, which comes from the Social Security Administration – allows us to make smart decisions when we present cases for our clients.

Finally, this information can be very helpful to applicants. Applying for social security benefits is likely a new experience for most applicants, and having an idea of what they can expect from the process can help them be engaged and involved participants with their advocates.

While your own journey may be different than the trends you see here, these tables and charts can help you understand what, on average, you can expect.

You will also find location and contact information for all the offices in New York below.

Applying for Social Security Disability Benefits in New York – What You Need To Know

There are generally three stages in the application process for Social Security Disability benefits: initial application, reconsideration, and the hearing. In this table, you can see how New York compares to the national average (all states in America) when it comes to approval rates at each of those stages.

As the table shows, New York is above average at the Initial Application, Reconsideration and Hearing levels.

New York Initial Application Approval Over Time

As the table and the below chart show, New York has been slightly ahead of Initial Applications going back to at least 2015. In 2024, New York ranked 30th in the nation in terms of percentage approval of Initial Applications. While approval rates have slightly improved in New York over the last few years, they still now only slightly ahead of the national average. If you are thinking of applying for SSDI, don’t worry – there are multiple stages to the application process.

New York Reconsideration Approval Over Time

As the table and the below chart indicate, New York has outperformed the national average when it comes to Approvals at the Reconsideration level. In 2024, New York ranked 23rd in the nation for highest percentage of approvals at Reconsideration. However, as you can see, in general, the chances of winning approval at Reconsideration are not particularly high. That is why many applicants must continue in the next level, the Hearing.

New York Hearings Approval Over Time

As the table and the below chart indicate, New York is ahead of the national average when it comes to approvals at the Hearing level. In 2024, New York ranked 6th in the nation for highest percentage of approvals at Hearings. Even so, these still are not great chances.

However, as you’ll see below, all individual hearing offices in New York are not the same – each office has its own approval rates, and almost as importantly, waiting times. Which hearing office your case is assigned to in New York may have a significant bearing on your chances for approval.

Also worthy of note is the fact that past performance is only one indicator of likely outcomes; as new data comes in, you might see that a state’s performance compared to the national average has either improved or weakened.

New York SSDI Hearing Wait Times & Approval By Office

New York is part of the Social Security Administration’s “Region 2,” which is headquartered in New York. There are 10 hearing offices in New York. You can see waiting times for hearings & case dispositions for each office below, with comparisons to New York and National Averages.

The “Hearing Wait Time (Months)” is, on average, how long it takes in between when an applicant asks for a Hearing and when that hearing occurs.

The “Average Disposition Time (Days)” is, on average, the number of days in between when an applicant asks for a Hearing, and when the Administrative Law Judge who hears their case actually makes a decision on that case.

The “Average Approval Rate” is percentage at which cases are decided in favor of the applicant.

As the table here and the chart below indicate, in 2024, the average wait time is below the average, with the exception of Buffalo, The Bronx, Queens and Rochester being above the national average. The approval rates in New York are well above the National Average with only 1 office slightly trailing.

These waiting times and approval rates only highlight how important it can be to have a qualified representative – such as an Advocate from Citizens Disability – working on your case. The Government Accountability Office has done research that shows that an applicant who has a representative has an up to three times greater chance of being approved than a person who goes it alone.

Hearing Offices in New York & The SSA Offices They Serve

These are the “Office of Hearing Operations” offices in New York. These offices are where hearings are scheduled and generally conducted. Each OHO office supports a number of regional Social Security Administration field offices. You are likely (but not guaranteed) to have your hearing scheduled with a Judge who works in the OHO office that supports the SSA field office nearest to you.

Regional Office Region 2 New York SSA, OHO
Room 34-102 26 Federal Plaza
New York, New York 10278
(212) 264-4036 • (212) 264-1519
Serves: New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands

Hearing Office Region 2 Albany SSA, OHO
2nd Floor 12 Corporate Woods Boulevard
Albany, New York 12211
(866) 643-3035 • (518) 432-3717 • (877) 379-8560
Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
NEW YORK: Albany, Gloversville, Hudson, Oneonta, Plattsburgh, Queensbury, Schenectady, Troy

Hearing Office Region 2 Bronx SSA, OHO
2nd Floor, Suite 201 220 East 161st Street
Bronx, New York 10451
(866) 563-9573 • (718) 590-1673 • (877) 379-8661
Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
NEW YORK: East Bronx, Hunts Point, Laconia Avenue, North Bronx, West Farms

Hearing Office Region 2 Buffalo SSA, OHO
Key Center, Suite 200 50 Fountain Plaza
Buffalo, New York 14202
(866) 348-5819 • (716) 551-4078 • (877) 379-8633
Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
NEW YORK: Batavia, Buffalo, Dunkirk, Jamestown, Niagara Falls, Olean, Ridge Road

Hearing Office Region 2 Long Island SSA, OHO
730 Federal Plaza Central
Islip, New York 11722
(866) 931-4494 • (631) 582-9640 • (877) 379-8559
8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
NEW YORK: Freeport, Melville, Mineola, Patchogue, Riverhead, West Babylon

Hearing Office Region 2 New York SSA, OHO
Room 2909 26 Federal Plaza
New York, New York 10278-0035
(877) 405-6744 • (212) 264-8633 • (877) 379-8642
Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
NEW YORK: Bedford Heights, Brooklyn New Utrecht, Downtown East Harlem, East Village, Midtown, Uptown, Washington Heights

Hearing Office Region 2 Varick New York SSA, OHO
3rd Floor, Room 315 201 Varick Street
New York, New York 10014-9998
(866) 964-9971 • (212) 524-0750 • (877) 379-8558
Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
NEW YORK: Boro Hall, Brooklyn Flatbush, Brooklyn Bushwick, Canarsie

Hearing Office Region 2 Queens relocated to Jamaica, NY SSA, OHO
Joseph P. Addabo Federal Building 155-10 Jamaica Avenue, 2nd Floor
Jamaica, New York 11431
(866) 931-6092 • (718) 557-6575 • (877) 304-5005
Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
NEW YORK: Cypress Hill, Far Rockaway, Flushing, Jamaica, Long Island City, Rego Park

Hearing Office Region 2 Rochester SSA, OHO
U.S. Federal Building, Room 4140 100 State Street
Rochester, New York 14614
(866) 331-3271 • (585) 263-5792 • (877) 304-8991
Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
NEW YORK: Geneva, Greece, Rochester

Hearing Office Region 2 Syracuse SSA, OHO
5th Floor 300 S. State Street
Syracuse, New York 13202
(888) 655-6477 • (315) 479-3933 • (877) 304-5049
Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
NEW YORK: Binghamton, Corning, Elmira, Ithaca, Ogdensburg, Oswego, Syracuse, Utica, Watertown

Hearing Office Region 2 White Plains SSA, OHO
Suite 202 75 South Broadway
White Plains, New York 10601
(877) 691-6146 • (914) 682-7006 • (877) 304-8717
Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
NEW YORK: Monticello, New Rochelle, Newburgh, Peekskill, Poughkeepsie, West Nyack, White Plains, Yonkers

All data on this page is current as of July, 2024.

About Citizens Disability, LLC:

Since 2010, Citizens Disability has been America’s premier Social Security Disability institution. Our services include helping people in applying for SSDI benefits, managing the process through Reconsideration, and representing people in person at their Hearing, and if necessary, bringing their case to the Appeals Council. Our mission is to give a voice to the millions of Americans who are disabled and unable to work, helping them receive the Social Security Disability benefits to which they may be entitled. Learn more about us and disability benefits like SSDI & SSI or give us a call (800)492-3260.

Citizens Disability is committed to helping keep people safe from fraud. We will never ask for personal details to start an SSDI application over Facebook or social media. We will only ask for certain details, in private messages, to confirm the identity of a client in a customer service situation. The only way to begin an SSDI application with us is on the phone, through a number found on our website, or one of our clearly-marked advertisements. Please keep your personal details safe, don't share them in a public forum, or with individuals who solicit your information.