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 Alabama – 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 Alabama 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 Alabama below.

Applying for Social Security Disability Benefits in Alabama – 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 Alabama 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)
Alabama35.6%15.2%59.2%
National Average39.5%15.1%57.7%
State Difference:-3.9%0.1%1.5%

As the table shows, in 2024, Alabama is slightly behind the national average in terms of approvals of Initial Applications but is slightly ahead of the national average when it comes to approvals at the Reconsideration and Hearing Levels.

Alabama Initial Application Approval Over Time

Initial Application Approval Rate2024202320222021202020192018201720162015
Alabama35.6%35.5%34.3%32.2%32.2%32.7%31.4%28.1%27.0%26.8%
National Average39.5%38.9%38.8%37.7%38.3%37.6%35.3%34.4%33.5%32.8%
Swipe left & right to see the whole table

As the table and the below chart show, Alabama has been consistently well behind the national average when it comes to approvals of Initial Applications going back to at least 2015. In 2024, Alabama ranked 45th in the nation in terms of percentage approval of Initial Applications. While approval rates have improved in Alabama over the last few years, they clearly still lag behind the national average. If you are thinking of applying for SSDI, don’t worry – there are multiple stages to the application process.
This graph shows the current & historical approval rates for SSDI reconsideration requests in Alabama and compares them to the national averages.

Alabama Reconsideration Approval Over Time

Reconsideration Approval Rate2024202320222021202020192018201720162015
Alabama15.2%18.4%15.6%13.8%11.0%11.7%15.9%17.6%15.6%13.5%
National Average15.1%15.5%15.0%13.2%13.6%13.4%12.4%12.9%12.6%11.7%
Swipe left & right to see the whole table

As the table and the below chart indicate, Alabama has recently surpassed the national average when it comes to approvals at the Reconsideration level. In 2024, Alabama 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 in the next level, the Hearing.
This graph shows the current & historical approval rates for SSDI reconsideration requests in Alabama and compares them to the national averages.

Alabama Hearings Approval Over Time

Hearing Approval Rate2024202320222021202020192018201720162015
Alabama59.2%60.3%57.3%57.9%54.4%55.4%56.8%61.1%58.8%55.0%
National Average57.7%56.8%54.2%54.7%51.1%52.9%53.9%56.8%54.7%53.4%
Swipe left & right to see the whole table

As the table and the below chart indicate, Alabama has consistently been slightly better than the national average when it comes to approvals at the Hearing level. In 2024, Alabama ranked 16th in the nation for highest percentage of approvals at Hearings.
This graph shows the current & historical approval rates for SSDI hearings in Alabama and compares them to the national averages.
However, as you’ll see below, all individual hearing offices in Alabama 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 Alabama 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.

Alabama SSDI Hearing Wait Times & Approval By Office

Alabama is part of the Social Security Administration’s “Region 4,” which is headquartered in Atlanta, George. There are 4 hearing offices in Alabama. You can see waiting times for hearings & case dispositions for each office below, with comparisons to Alabama 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.

Hearing Wait Time (Months)Average Disposition Time (Days)Average Approval Rate (2024)
National Average9.336657.7%
Alabama Average6.328159.2%
BIRMINGHAM6.930450.9%
FLORENCE6.328148.9%
MOBILE6.827770.0%
MONTGOMERY5.526464.8%

As the table here and the chart below indicate, in 2024, for both Alabama, is well below the national average for Hearing Wait Time and Average Disposition Time. Alabama is above average in terms of approval rating. However, certain offices in Alabama, are lagging behind the national average. Alabama is ranked 1st for average wait time for hearing.

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.

This graph shows the current approval and wait times for SSDI hearings for Social Security offices in Alabama and compares them to the national averages.


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Hearing Offices in Alabama & The SSA Offices They Serve

These are the “Office of Hearing Operations” offices in Alabama. 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.

Hearing Office Region 4 Birmingham SSA, OHO
1st Floor 1200 Rev. Abraham Woods, Jr. Boulevard
Birmingham, Alabama 35285
(866) 613-2863 • (205) 801-2983 • (877) 670-6787
8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Offices Served:
ALABAMA: Albertville, Bessemer, Birmingham (Downtown), Birmingham (East), Gadsden, Jasper, Talladega, Tuscaloosa

Hearing Office Region 4 Florence SSA, OHO
Walnut Street Executive Center
204 South Walnut Street, Suite D
Florence, Alabama 35630
(866) 964-9978 • (256) 764-6278 • (877) 871-1886
8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Offices Served:
ALABAMA: Cullman, Florence, Huntsville

Hearing Office Region 4 Mobile SSA, OHO
Suite 200 550 Government Street
Mobile, Alabama 36602
(866) 563-4698 • (251) 441-5993 • (877) 871-2433
8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Offices Served:
ALABAMA: Andalusia, Dothan, Fairhope, Jackson, Mobile and FLORIDA: Ft. Walton Beach, Pensacola

Hearing Office Region 4 Montgomery SSA, OHO
Suite 200 4344 Carmichael Road
Montgomery, Alabama 36106
(866) 931-9032 • (334) 213-3696 • (877) 871-3055
8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Offices Served:
ALABAMA: Alexander City, Anniston, Montgomery, Opelika, Selma

List of Social Security Administration Field Offices in Alabama

Office NameLocationAddressCityStatePhone Number
BIRMINGHAM DT ALDISTRICT OFFICE-1ST FL1200 REV ABRAHAM WOODSBIRMINGHAMAL(800) 772-1213
MONTGOMERY ALSUITE 1004344 CARMICHAEL RDMONTGOMERYAL(866) 593-0914
MOBILE ALSUITE 100550 GOVERNMENT STMOBILEAL(866) 593-1922
DECATUR AL717 MCGLATHERY LN SEDECATURAL(888) 289-9185
GADSDEN AL204 ENTERPRISE DRIVEGADSDENAL(877) 316-4418
ANNISTON AL801 QUINTARD AVENUEANNISTONAL(877) 701-2139
DOTHAN AL1778 WHATLEY DRIVEDOTHANAL(877) 452-4192
TUSCALOOSA ALSTE 12002005 UNIVERSITY BLVDTUSCALOOSAAL(877) 480-4988
SELMA AL120 EXECUTIVE PARK LNSELMAAL(877) 628-6541
FLORENCE AL203 SOUTH WALNUT STFLORENCEAL(855) 884-3407
HUNTSVILLE AL4970 RESEARCH DRIVE,NWHUNTSVILLEAL(866) 593-0665
AUBURN AL2454 E UNIVERSITY DRAUBURNAL(877) 512-3857
ANDALUSIA AL24467 ALABAMA HWY 55ANDALUSIAAL(877) 405-7657
TALLADEGA AL736 NORTH STREET EASTTALLADEGAAL(877) 619-2854
BESSEMER AL5475 ACADEMY WAYBESSEMERAL(800) 772-1213
JASPER AL501 THE MALL WAYJASPERAL(877) 575-5199
CULLMAN AL1908 COMMERCE AVE NWCULLMANAL(877) 803-6323
ALBERTVILLE AL412 MARTLING ROADALBERTVILLEAL(800) 521-0073
BIRMINGHAM EAST ALTRUSSVILLE EXEC. PARK1972 GADSDEN HWY.BIRMINGHAMAL(800) 772-1213
FAIRHOPE AL101 COURTHOUSE DRFAIRHOPEAL(866) 837-5964
ALEXANDER CITY AL63 ALIANT PARKWAYALEXANDER CITYAL(877) 405-0483
JACKSON AL4249 N COLLEGE AVEJACKSONAL(877) 476-4484
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All data on this page is current as of February, 2022.

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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.