Highest Disability Approval Rates By State
If you’re applying for or considering applying for Social Security disability (SSD) benefits, you’ve probably heard that denial rates are high. You may also know that if you appeal, you can wait a long time for a hearing. What you may not know is that both approval rates and the wait time for an appeal hearing differ based on geography. In other words, the chances of an initial SSD claim being approved are higher in some states than others. In fact, approval rates can vary from office to office or ALJ to ALJ within a state.
In 2024, approval rates for initial claims for SSD only ranged from 34.8% in the state with the lowest approval rate to 57.4%. Just five states had initial SSD approval rates higher than 50%:
- New Hampshire – 57.4%
- North Dakota – 56%
- Vermont – 54%
- Nebraska – 52.7%
- Rhode Island – 51.5%
Most states had initial SSD application approval rates of between 40% and 50%. But, a handful of states had rates below 40%, including:
How Does Your State Stack Up?
The states with the highest and lowest approval rates for Social Security disability benefits are listed above, but what if you live in and are applying for disability benefits in one of the dozens of other U.S. states? Here are the Q1 2024 approval rates for every state in the U.S., as well as the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
| Alaska | 49.8 |
| Alabama | 42.5 |
| Arkansas | 43.9 |
| Arizona | 34.8 |
| California | 42.5 |
| Colorado | 41 |
| Connecticut | 49.2 |
| District of Columbia | 45.8 |
| Delaware | 44.7 |
| Florida | 39.6 |
| Georgia | 39.4 |
| Hawai’i | 41.5 |
| Iowa | 48.7 |
| Idaho | 41.8 |
| Illinois | 46.3 |
| Indiana | 49.8 |
| Kansas | 48.4 |
| Kentucky | 40.6 |
| Louisiana | 45.9 |
| Massachusetts | 45.3 |
| Maryland | 47.2 |
| Maine | 46.4 |
| Michigan | 48.6 |
| Minnesota | 48.2 |
| Missouri | 47.5 |
| Mississippi | 46.7 |
| Montana | 43.5 |
| North Carolina | 40.8 |
| North Dakota | 56 |
| Nebraska | 52.7 |
| New Hampshire | 57.4 |
| New Jersey | 43.3 |
| New Mexico | 46.2 |
| Nevada | 38.8 |
| New York | 44.8 |
| Ohio | 44.1 |
| Oklahoma | 39.7 |
| Oregon | 47.9 |
| Pennsylvania | 46.4 |
| Puerto Rico | 46.1 |
| Rhode Island | 51.5 |
| South Carolina | 45.5 |
| South Dakota | 45.3 |
| Tennessee | 38.3 |
| Texas | 43.5 |
| Utah | 45.1 |
| Virginia | 48.9 |
| Vermont | 54 |
| Washington | 45.9 |
| Wisconsin | 49.8 |
| West Virginia | 41.7 |
| Wyoming | 47.3 |
Why are State SSD Approval Rates So Different?
It may surprise you that approval rates vary so much from state to state, given that Social Security disability is a federal program with a consistent set of requirements and eligibility criteria. There are several factors that may play a role in the SSD approval rate in a given state. It’s also worth noting that state populations vary significantly, meaning that the sample sizes are much different. For example, in Alaska, 313 initial SSD-only claims were decided in Q1 of 2024. During the same time period, more than 16,000 such claims were decided in California. A larger sample size makes the data more likely to be a reliable predictor.
Outcomes in a given state may be affected by variables such as:
- How strictly applications are assessed by the team responsible for a particular location, which can vary based both on local procedures and on the individuals conducting the review
- Access to quality medical care in the area, which in turn impacts the applicant’s ability to assemble solid medical documentation–insufficient documentation may delay claims or result in denial
- The average age of the population, since older claimants are more likely to be approved
- The educational level of the population, since workers with higher levels of education are generally considered better able to adapt to other work if they can no longer perform their previous work
The availability of quality assistance with the application process, which can make a significant difference in approval rates because an experienced advocate can ensure that the applicant avoids common mistakes and knows what type of documentation the Social Security Administration (SSA) will be looking for.
While it may be useful to know what to expect in terms of the likelihood of approval at the initial application stage in your state, it’s more important to focus on the factors that are within your control.
While most disabled workers aren’t in a position to relocate to a more favorable state to improve their odds of SSD approval, there are many steps you can take to strengthen your application. For example, you can:
- Reliably see your doctor and any necessary specialists, ensuring that you’ve established a thorough record of your condition
- Follow through with testing and treatment recommendations, to avoid the SSA deciding that they don’t have enough information about what your medical condition would be with property treatment to deem you disabled
- Assemble a complete, effective application with the right type of documentation
- Respond promptly to any requests from the SSA, such as a request for additional records or to undergo a specific test or exam
- Know when to get help
An Experienced Disability Benefits Advocate Can Help
The SSD application process can be daunting. As you can see above, more than half of applications are denied in most states. Often, those denials could have been avoided. You can’t afford to make mistakes or omit important supporting evidence.
Fortunately, you don’t have to sort it out alone. Whether you are preparing to file a Social Security disability benefits application for the first time or have been denied and want to pursue a request for reconsideration or appeal, Disability Help Group is here for you. We help people with SSD applications and appeals every day, and have in-depth knowledge of both processes and how to assemble the documentation the SSA will want to see.
To learn more about how our experienced disability benefits advocates can help you submit the strongest possible application, request for reconsideration or appeal, call 800-800-3332 right now, or fill out our contact form here.
