The latest statistics for average processing time have been released by the SSA and distributed by NOSSCR in its July 2010 newsletter. The Manchester, NH Social Security hearing office has an average wait time of 412 days, or about 14 months, for a decision.
Processing time runs from the day the hearing office receives your hearing request to the day a decision is issued. The 412 days is an average. Some claims are resolved more quickly, but a claim that goes to hearing and requires a written decision may take longer.
While the average wait for a hearing decision in New Hampshire is 60 days longer than in Maine, New Hampshire is a “prototype” state that skips the intermediate Reconsideration step of the Social Security disability process. Since 5-6 months are not spent waiting for a Reconsideration determination, claims are moving from the initial denial to a hearing much more quickly in New Hampshire than in Maine.