Top 5 Reasons Not to Drop Your Social Security Disability Case

All too often, individuals with disabilities which prevent them from maintaining full-time employment, apply for the Social Security disability benefits they have rightfully earned, but become frustrated by the disability benefits process and throw in the towel. It is understandable. The nature of the process can be overwhelming and frustrating with high initial denial rates, long wait times, and rigorous requirements.

In Illinois, the average wait time for an initial Social Security disability decision in 2026 is roughly 6 to 8 months due to backlogs at the state’s Disability Determination Services (DDS). If your case is denied (which happens in 70–80% of initial cases), the next step in the process is a reconsideration appeal which can take another 7 months or longer. In reconsideration, your application (along with any new information you submit in support of your claim) will be reviewed a second time by the same Social Security office that evaluated your initial application, but the review will be conducted by different people in that office. Unfortunately, it is most likely your application for benefits will be denied again. Only about 12% to 15% of applications are approved at this stage.

It is no wonder, then, that some disability applicants become overwhelmed and just walk away after their first or second denial of benefits.

But don’t give up and don’t file a new application.

Even when your case is denied, persistence is the key to protecting your financial future. The largest percentage of Social Security Disability benefits claims are awarded at the third step in the disability process: an appeal hearing. There are certain rare situations when stopping your claim might make sense, but the decision whether to quit or keep going should be made with the advice of a qualified disability attorney. All too often, we see people asking to stop their case for the wrong reasons.

Here are the top 5 reasons not to drop your Social Security disability case.

1. You Can Lose Retroactive Benefits—Your Back Pay

   Withdrawing your application means abandoning your original filing date. Due to the length of the disability process, many disability recipients are owed back pay in addition to their monthly benefits. Simply stated, back pay is a lump sum of money you are owed to cover a period in which you were medically qualified for disability benefits but had not yet been approved to collect them. Back pay amounts can vary widely depending on your established onset date (EOD). For more on this, read our blog post: “How Much Back Pay Will I Receive if My Disability Case Is Approved?”

   If you withdraw and later refile, you will most likely lose the chance to collect the back pay for the time you already waited.

2. You Lose Your “Place in Line”

   As of early 2026, the Social Security Administration (SSA) initial disability claims backlog nationally is about 865,000 pending cases. Although this is down from a high of over 1.26 million, the average initial processing times remain high at 6–8 months. Starting over just resets the clock.

3. Initial Denials Are Often Overturned

   Statistics demonstrate that the best chance of winning benefits is after appealing the second denial, and after a hearing before an administrative law judge (ALJ). In Illinois, the approval rate for disability benefits after an appeal hearing generally averages 45% to 55%. Furthermore, a government study revealed that if a claimant had a representative such as an attorney, they were three times more likely to be allowed benefits.

4. You Can Strengthen Your Evidence on Appeal

   Many disability claims are denied simply for “insufficient medical evidence,” but this can be corrected when you appeal. You and your attorney have the right to submit additional medical evidence during your appeal, including updated medical records, test results, and evaluations by your doctors.

5. Your Access to Medicare/Medicaid Can be Lost or Delayed

   For many disabled Americans, a disability claim is not just about cash benefits, but also about health coverage. In many cases, approval for SSDI leads to Medicare eligibility, and SSI often brings immediate Medicaid benefits. Dropping the case means dropping that coverage.

Here’s what to do instead of dropping your disability case:

• Appeal every denial within the 60-day deadline.
• Request a hearing if the reconsideration is denied.
• Consult with us at Nash Disability Law. Our highly skilled and experienced attorneys can help you present your case more effectively.