John F. Sharpless Social Security Disability Law Blog on Lawyers.com

According to the Social Security Administration’s National Ranking Report for the month ending June of 2008, the Tampa Office of Disability  Adjudication and Review (ODAR) has a processing time of 648 days.  This means that from the date a Request for Hearing with an Administrative Law Judge is filed the average processing time is just short of 22 months.   The Tampa ODAR ranks 122nd out of 147 hearing offices nationwide.

Does every claimant have to wait?  One of the most positive things an advocate can do is to collect and develop the evidence to establish that the claim can be awarded on the record without a hearing.  The Administration has an interest in awarding and disposing of meritorious claims so that their limited resources and overworked judges can focus on adjudicating claims that are not as clear cut.  For information about my office and more on our philosophy please see our website at www.tampa-ssd.com.