The Central Illinois Hearing Office in Peoria, Illinois has been moving Social Security Disability cases much faster this year. The Peoria office covers Bloomington, Pontiac, Springfield, Decatur and Champaign.
Before this year it would take anywhere from 2 to 3 years from the date you requested your hearing to actually have your hearing before the Administrative Law Judge.
The Hearing Office is now scheduling hearings for cases from the summer and fall of 2007. It looks the wait time has been reduced to 18 months from the date you request a hearing.
The question is whether this will last? Staffing has to continue to keep pace, and the number of new cases filed will have an effect on whether the backlog will be reduced.
I have seen some people report that in the 1970’s it would only take 4 to 8 months to have a hearing. I do not think we will return to that level any time soon.
Questions about how soon you can expect a hearing? Call Attorney Dirk May at 309-827-4371.