Florida and Social Security Disability Benefits

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 Florida – 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 Florida 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 Florida below.

Applying for Social Security Disability Benefits in Florida – 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 Florida 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, Florida was slightly above the national average at the Initial Application and Hearing level. However, Florida is trailing slightly behind the national average at the Reconsideration level. Florida was only a bit more than two percentage points ahead of the national average for approvals at Hearing, but there’s more to this story, as Florida has 10 different hearing offices, all with different waits and approval rates (which we’ll describe below).

Florida Initial Application Approval Over Time

As the table and the below chart show, Florida has, across the state, been a few points behind the national average for approvals of Initial Applications going back to at least 2011, although Florida has now surpassed the national average by one percentage point. In 2022, Florida ranked 29th in the nation in terms of percentage approval of Initial Applications. While approval rates have improved in Florida over the last few years, they still only match the national average, meaning that about 1 in 3 initial applications are approved in Florida. If you are thinking of applying for SSDI, don’t worry – there are multiple stages to the application process.

Florida Reconsideration Approval Over Time

As the table and the below chart indicate, Florida has again generally tracked the national average when it comes to approvals at the Reconsideration level, keeping within a few percentage points. In 2022, Florida ranked 34th 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.

Florida Hearings Approval Over Time

As the table and the below chart indicate, Florida has stayed close to the national average when it comes to approvals at the Hearing level, but has managed to stay on the positive side. In 2022, Florida ranked 16th in the nation for highest percentage of approvals at Hearings.

However, as you’ll see below, all individual hearing offices in Florida 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 Florida 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.

Florida SSDI Hearing Wait Times & Approval By Office

Florida is part of the Social Security Administration’s “Region 4,” which is headquartered in Atlanta, George. There are 8 hearing offices in Florida. You can see waiting times for hearings & case dispositions for each office below, with comparisons to Florida 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 2022, Florida is generally behind the national averages for wait times. The offices in Orlando, FT Lauderdale and FT Myers have wait times significantly below the national average. Tallahassee and Miami, however, are the two slowest offices in the state. Florida overall ranks 12th in the Nation in terms of wait times.

FT Lauderdale has the lowest approval rates in 2022 so far, with Hearing-level approval rates of 50.2%. The highest approval rate in Florida at the time of this article’s writing was Tampa, with a 63.0% approval rate.

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 Florida & The SSA Offices They Serve

These are the “Office of Hearing Operations” offices in Florida. 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 Fort Lauderdale SSA, OHO
Suite 1000, 10th Floor 500 East Broward Boulevard
Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33394
(888) 436-2637 • (954) 356-7901 • (877) 760-0003
Hours: 8:00a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Services these Social Security Field Offices:
FLORIDA: Belle Glade, Delray Beach, Ft. Lauderdale • (East & West), Melbourne, North Broward, Pembroke Pines, Port St. Lucie, South Broward, Sunrise, Vero Beach, W. Palm Beach

Hearing Office Region 4 Fort Myers SSA, OHO
2nd Floor 3650 Colonial Boulevard
Ft. Myers, Florida 33966
(888) 462-1109 • (239) 278-0684 • (877) 847-1596
Hours: 8:00a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Services these Social Security Field Offices:
FLORIDA: Ft. Myers, Naples, Port Charlotte

Hearing Office Region 4 Jacksonville SSA, OHO
DeSoto Building, Suite 400 8880 Freedom Crossing Trail
Jacksonville, Florida 32256
(866) 931-0124 • (904) 232-3961 • (877) 760-0594
Hours: 8:00a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Services these Social Security Field Offices:
FLORIDA: Deland, Gainesville, Jacksonville • (North), Jacksonville • (South), Lake City, Port Orange, St. Augustine

Hearing Office Region 4 Miami SSA, OHO
One Riverview Square, 8th Floor 333 S. Miami Avenue
Miami, Florida 33130 • (866) 964-5052
(305) 536-4788 • (877) 330-7137
Hours: 8:00a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Services these Social Security Field Offices:
FLORIDA: Allapattah, Hialeah, Key West, Little Havanna, Little River, Miami Beach, Miami • (North), Miami • (South), Perrine, Jackson Mem Site

Hearing Office Region 4 Orlando SSA, OHO
Glenridge Building, Suite 300 3505 Lake Lynda Drive
Orlando, Florida 32817-9801
(877) 833-2730 • (407) 380-3658 • (877) 330-7138
Hours: 8:00a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Services these Social Security Field Offices:
FLORIDA: Cocoa, Cocoa Beach, Kissimmee, Lake Mary, Leesburg, Ocala, Orlando

Hearing Office Region 4 Tallahassee SSA, OHO
2nd Floor 1961 Quail Grove Lane
Tallahassee, Florida 32311
(888) 472-5996 • (850) 942-1034 • (877) 435-0334
Hours: 8:00a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Services these Social Security Field Offices:
FLORIDA: Marianna, Panama City, Tallahassee and GEORGIA: Thomasville

Hearing Office Region 4 Tampa SSA, OHO
Fountain Square II, Suite 200 4925 Independence Parkway
Tampa, Florida 33634 • (855) 248-0239
(813) 883-7355 • (877) 330-7844
Hours: 8:00a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Services these Social Security Field Offices:
FLORIDA: Carrollwood, Dade City, Lakeland, Sebring, Seffner, Tampa, Winter Haven

Hearing Office Region 4 St. Petersburg SSA, OHO
2nd Floor 830 Central Avenue
St. Petersburg, Florida 33701
(877) 452-4193 • (727) 893-3148 • (877) 847-1597
Hours: 8:00a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Services these Social Security Field Offices:
FLORDIA: Bradenton, Clearwater, New Port Richey, Sarasota, St. Petersburg, Venice

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.