South Dakota and Social Security Disability

ALL STATE DATA UPDATED FOR 2023!

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.

As the table shows, in 2022, South Dakota was slightly ahead of the national average for approvals at the Initial Application and the Reconsideration 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

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 2011. In 2022, South Dakota ranked 26th 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

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 just slightly ahead of the national average. In 2022, South Dakota ranked 25th 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 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.

All data on this page is current as of February, 2023.

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.