Study: Ohioans wait the longest for disability hearings

COLUMBUS (AP) — A report finds Ohioans seeking Social Security disability benefits face the nation’s longest wait times for hearings.

It takes an average of more than 19 months in Ohio for those claims to go before a federal administrative law judge, according to Allsup, a for-profit company that helps Americans file for disability.

The study released today says the national average wait time is 14 months.

Allsup says backlogs are being reduced, even in Ohio. The report shows Ohioans now wait an average 591 days for their hearings, down from 758 days in 2008.

Social Security Commissioner Michael Astrue criticizes the findings, saying they’re based on data that’s months old. He also notes his agency is adding two more offices in Ohio, from the current four.