Applied back in June 2022 for SSDI after my back gave out on a landscaping job, and I just passed the 36 month mark with no hearing date in sight. My lawyer keeps saying the backlog is the reason, but I watched two other guys with similar cases get approved within 18 months. Anyone else stuck in this Fresno office waiting loop, or am I just the unlucky one?
Fresno's one of the worst offices in the country for hearings, they're running like 600+ days just to get a date in some cases. What actually helped my cousin was calling the hearing office directly and asking for an on the record review, sometimes the judge will approve without a hearing if your medical file is strong. Get your lawyer to push for that in writing and keep a paper trail of every call, because sitting around waiting on the backlog line does nothing.