Georgia 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 Georgia – 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 Georgia 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 Georgia below.

Applying for Social Security Disability Benefits in Georgia – 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 Georgia compares to the national average (all states in America) when it comes to approval rates at each of those stages.

As the table shows, Georgia is slightly above the national average for approvals at the Reconsideration stage. Georgia is slightly behind the national average at the Initial and Hearing stages.

Georgia Initial Application Approval Over Time

As the table and the below chart show, Georgia is trailing just behind the national average approval rates at the Initial Applications level. In 2022, Georgia ranked 41st in the nation in terms of percentage approval of Initial Applications. While approval rates have definitely improved in Georgia over the last few years, they still trail the national average, with only about 1 in 3 initial applications being approved. If you are thinking of applying for SSDI, don’t worry – there are multiple stages to the application process.

Georgia Reconsideration Approval Over Time

As the table and the below chart indicate, Georgia has stayed just above the national average at the Reconsideration level. In 2022, Georgia ranked 28th 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.

Georgia Hearings Approval Over Time

As the table and the below chart indicate, Georgia has been slighly behind the national average when it comes to approvals at the Hearing level going back to 2011. In 2022, Georgia ranked 21st in the nation for highest percentage of approvals at Hearings, with a state-wide approval rate of 53.3%.

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

Georgia SSDI Hearing Wait Times & Approval By Office

Georgia is part of the Social Security Administration’s “Region 4,” which is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. There are 5 hearing offices in Georgia. You can see waiting times for hearings & case dispositions for each office below, with comparisons to Georgia 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, Georgia has a slightly longer hearing wait time than the national average. Covington, at the time of this article’s writing, is currently the highest-performer in Georgia, with just over 59% of decisions being favorable. Savannah is the office with the lowest approval rating in the state, with 44.7%.

Overall, the state of Georgia ranks 26th in the nation in terms of waiting times.

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 Georgia & The SSA Offices They Serve

These are the “Office of Hearing Operations” offices in Georgia. 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 Atlanta SSA, OHO
Atlanta Federal Center, Suite 20T10 61 Forsyth Street,
S.W. Atlanta, Georgia 30303
(404) 562-1182 • (404) 562-1055 Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee

Hearing Office Region 4 Atlanta • (Downtown) SSA, OHO
Suite 500, Marquis 1 245 Peachtree Center Avenue
Atlanta, Georgia 30303
(866) 964-7350 • (404) 584-0587 • (877) 330-9975
Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Services These Social Security Field Offices:
GEORGIA: Atlanta (Downtown), Atlanta (West), Columbus, La Grange, Marietta, Newnan, Southlake-Morrow, Villa Rica

Hearing Office Region 4 Atlanta • (North) SSA, OHO
2nd Floor 4100 Old Milton Parkway
Alpharetta, Georgia 30005
(855) 210-1031 • (770) 475-6947 • (877) 330-9977
Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Services These Social Security Field Offices:
GEORGIA: Gainesville, Gwinnett, Toccoa, Winder

Hearing Office Region 4 Augusta SSA, OHO
Pulling Unit 115 Robert C. Daniel, Jr. Parkway
Augusta, Georgia 30909
(888) 872-1596 • (706) 733-7779 • (877) 314-9639
Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
(Pulling Unit assigned to the OHO Columbia, SC Hearing Office)

Hearing Office Region 4 Covington SSA, OHO
10155 Eagle Drive
Covington, Georgia 30014
(866) 708-3231 • (678) 342-7655 • (877) 787-5217
Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Services These Social Security Field Offices:
GEORGIA: Athens, Covington, Decatur, Griffin

NCAC Region 4 Macon SSA, OHO
Suite 500 484 Mulberry Street
Macon, Georgia 31201-7929
(866) 331-2191 • (478) 752-3448 • (877) 338-4214
Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Services These Social Security Field Offices:
GEORGIA: Albany, Cordele, Macon, Tifton, Warner Robins

Hearing Office Region 4 Savannah SSA, OHO
2nd Floor 8 Southern Oaks Court
Savannah, Georgia 31405
(866) 964-7590 • (912) 652-4411 • (877) 338-4215
Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Services These Social Security Field Offices:
GEORGIA: Brunswick, Dublin, Savannah, Statesboro, Valdosta, Vidalia, Waycross

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.