South Dakota and Social Security Disability
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 South Dakota – 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 South Dakota 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 South Dakota below.
Applying for Social Security Disability Benefits in South Dakota – 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 South Dakota compares to the national average (all states in America) when it comes to approval rates at each of those stages.
| Initial Application (L1) | Reconsideration (L2) | Hearing (L3) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Dakota | 38.8% | 10.3% | 0.0% |
| National Average | 39.5% | 15.1% | 57.7% |
| State Difference: | -0.7% | -4.8% | -57.7% |
As the table shows, in 2024, South Dakota was slightly behind of the national average for approvals at the Initial Application, Reconsideration and Hearing level. Note that the Social Security Administration does not release data about the results from Hearings for South Dakota applicants. Even though there is an SSA Office of Hearing Operations office in Sioux Falls, the hearings are handled administratively through the Billings, Montana and Fargo, North Dakota offices.
South Dakota Initial Application Approval Over Time
| Initial Application Approval Rate | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Dakota | 38.8% | 39.3% | 40.6% | 39.8% | 45.4% | 44.1% | 36.8% | 39.2% | 38.9% | 38.0% |
| National Average | 39.5% | 38.9% | 38.8% | 37.7% | 38.3% | 37.6% | 35.3% | 34.4% | 33.5% | 32.8% |
As the table and the below chart show, South Dakota has been consistently ahead of the national average for approvals at the Initial Application level going back to at least 2015. In 2024, fell below the national average making South Dakota rank 36th in the nation in terms of percentage approval of Initial Applications. That said, there’s still only about a 50-50 chance of being approved at the Initial Application level. If you are thinking of applying for SSDI, don’t worry – there are multiple stages to the application process.
South Dakota Reconsideration Approval Over Time
| Reconsideration Approval Rate | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Dakota | 10.3% | 11.1% | 15.6% | 13.8% | 14.0% | 14.0% | 11.0% | 11.1% | 13.3% | 11.0% |
| National Average | 15.1% | 15.5% | 15.0% | 13.2% | 13.6% | 13.4% | 12.4% | 12.9% | 12.6% | 11.7% |
As the table and the below chart indicate, South Dakota has criss-crossed the national average when it comes to Approvals at the Reconsideration level over the last few years, finishing up below the national average. In 2024, South Dakota ranked 49th in the nation for highest percentage of approvals at Reconsideration. As you can see, in general, the chances of winning approval at Reconsideration are not particularly high. That is why many applicants must continue to the next level, the Hearing.
South Dakota Hearings Approval Over Time
As noted above, while the Social Security Administration does have an Office of Hearing Operations locations in South Dakota, it is a satellite of the Fargo, North Dakota office – so no Hearing-level data is released for the state of South Dakota. To get an understanding of how applicants from South Dakota fare at hearings, it may be instructive to review the data for North Dakota and the Fargo offices specifically.
List of Social Security Administration Field Offices in South Dakota
Note that these are field offices, which offer a variety of services of the Social Security Administration, but do not generally conduct Hearings.
| Office Name | Location | Address | City | Phone Number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aberdeen Office | 115 4th Ave Se | Aberdeen SD 57401 | Aberdeen | 1-855-278-4196 |
| Huron Office | 200 4th Street Sw | Huron SD 57350 | Huron | 1-866-563-4604 |
| Rapid City Office | 2200 N Maple Ave | Rapid City SD 57701 | Rapid City | 1-866-964-7416 |
| Sioux Falls Office | 5021 S Nevada Ave | Sioux Falls SD 57108 | Sioux Falls | 1-877-274-5421 |
| Watertown Office | 514 10th Ave Se | Watertown SD 57201 | Watertown | 1-888-737-1763 |
| Yankton Office | 121 W 3rd St | Yankton SD 57078 | Yankton | 1-877-405-3522 |
Swipe left & right to see the whole table
All data on this page is current as of July, 2024.
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