Social Security Administration (SSA) Annual Data for
Initial Disability Cases Involving the Processing Centers
Average Processing Time

Download this dataset

(Updated March 8, 2024)

This dataset contains data for fiscal year(s) 2012 on and is currently available in the following format(s):

Comma Separated Values (CSV)

Background

For claims filed by someone living within the United States, an application for disability benefits can be filed online, in the local Social Security office, or by phone. We review the application to make sure some basic requirements for disability benefits are met. In some instances, including where the non-disability requirements are not met, the claim may be turned down as a technical denial and a medical determination is not made.

If the requirements are met, we send the disability application to the Disability Determination Services (DDS) office in the state in which the applicant resides. Using federal laws, regulations, and Agency policies and procedures, the DDS completes the disability determination for Social Security. In addition, the Social Security Administration (SSA) reviews a sample of initial disability claims prior to a final determination. Once these actions are completed, field offices make the payment for allowances or issue notices for denials for most cases. Please refer to the dataset and description located at Combined Title II Disability and Title XVI Blind/Disabled Average Processing Time (in days) (excludes technical denials) for information on cases processed by the DDS and field offices as described above. The Processing Centers (PCs) get involved in payment and notice actions in less than one percent of cases.

The Processing Center (PC) data contained in this dataset shows the average overall cumulative number of elapsed days for PC processing only. The overall agency time includes processing time for transit, technical determinations, medical determinations, and quality review from the date of filing through the date payment is made or the denial notice is issued for all initial claims that require a medical determination for fiscal years 2012 on.

Dataset Index

Agency Program Description

Social Security has eight processing centers located around the country to assist in processing various workloads and to support other types of agency offices in the tasks that they perform. Jurisdiction of cases for six of the PCs is according to Social Security Numbers. While our field offices process most of the payment and notice actions for initial disability claims, a small percentage of domestic cases are processed by PC1 through PC6 while PC 8 handles international claims. PC8's disability claims processing time is longer because of international issues (e.g. translation of written documents and verbal communications, time zone differences affecting coordination and communication, mailing time, etc.).

Back to Index

Dataset Description

The dataset includes annual data for average processing time and counts of initial disability claims in which there was a medical determination made broken out by those cases handled by each PC, the total for all PCs, and total claims processed by the agency by all offices. The cases processed by PC8 are international claims.

This dataset provides data for federal fiscal year 2012 on.

Back to Index

Data Collection Description

We collect data from a claimant (or a person helping the claimant) as they complete an application for benefits and enter the information into our Modernized Claim System (MCS). We update each case in MCS to reflect information collected and actions taken during processing along with associated dates. Management information such as elapsed time data (also called processing time) is collected and stored in a Business Intelligence (BI) Repository.

Back to Index

Notes

• A Federal Fiscal Year (FY) is the 12-month period that starts the Saturday after the last Friday of September and ends the last Friday of September. Most years our fiscal year workload reports contain 52 weeks since we include only full weeks, rather than cut off in the middle of a week. Every few years the reporting period is 53 weeks when we apply the end of week cutoff. Fiscal Year 2016 is a 53 week year for our workload reports.

Back to Index

Data Dictionary

Field A: Federal Fiscal Year, the 12-month period that starts the Saturday after the last Friday of September and ends the last Friday of September.

Field B: APT PC1, Average Processing Time for PC1, average number of days elapsed from date of receipt in the PC to payment or release of denial notice for initial disability cases processed by PC1

Field C: Count PC1, Claims Count for PC1, number of initial disability cases processed by PC1

Field D: APT PC2, Average Processing Time for PC2, average number of days elapsed from date of receipt in the PC to payment or release of denial notice for initial disability cases processed by PC2

Field E: Count, PC2, Claims Count for PC2, number of initial disability cases processed by PC2

Field F: APT PC3, Average Processing Time for PC3, average number of days elapsed from date of receipt in the PC to payment or release of denial notice for initial disability cases processed by PC3

Field G: Count PC3, Claims Count for PC3, number of initial disability cases processed by PC3

Field H: APT PC4, Average Processing Time for PC4, average number of days elapsed from date of receipt in the PC to payment or release of denial notice for initial disability cases processed by PC4

Field I: Count PC4, Claims Count for PC4, number of initial disability cases processed by PC4

Field J: APT PC5, Average Processing Time for PC5, average number of days elapsed from date of receipt in the PC to payment or release of denial notice for initial disability cases processed by PC5

Field K: Count PC5, Claims Count for PC5, number of initial disability cases processed by PC5

Field L: APT PC6, Average Processing Time for PC6, average number of days elapsed from date of receipt in the PC to payment or release of denial notice for initial disability cases processed by PC6

Field M: Count PC6, Claims Count for PC6, number of initial disability cases processed by PC6

Field N: APT PC7, Average Processing Time for PC7, average number of days elapsed from date of receipt in the PC to payment or release of denial notice for initial disability cases processed by PC7

Field O: Count PC7, Claims Count for PC7, number of initial disability cases processed by PC7

Field P: APT PC8, Average Processing Time for PC8, average number of days elapsed from date of receipt in the PC to payment or release of denial notice for international initial disability cases processed by PC8

Field Q: Count PC8, Claims Count for PC8, number of international initial disability cases processed by PC8

Field R: APT All PCs, Average Processing Time All PCs, average number of days elapsed from date of receipt in the PC to payment or release of denial notice for initial disability cases processed by all PCs combined

Field S: Count All PCs, Claims Count for All Pcs, number of initial disability cases processed by all PCs combined

Field T: APT Total Agency, Average Processing Time Total Agency, average number of days elapsed from date of filing to payment or release of denial notice for initial disability cases processed by all offices in the agency

Field U: Count Total Agency, Claims Count for Total Agency, number of initial disability cases processed by all offices in the agency

Back to Index