Tens of thousands of new Hawaii social security disability cases are initiated each year and only about one-third of them are actually awarded. For new claims that have been denied, applicants can Request a Reconsideration to have their case reviewed by the Social Security Administration (SSA) a second time. In the state of Hawaii, reconsiderations are awarded 15.8% of the time. These numbers are consistent with national averages. According to the SSA, 32.1% of new cases are awarded and of the ones that are denied, just over 10% of those cases are subsequently awarded. If you have applied for social security disability benefits in Hawaii and both your initial claim and your appeal were denied, you stand a much better chance of having your benefits awarded by requesting a hearing. The hearing process enables your case to be reviewed by an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) at a local ODAR or hearing office. There is one hearing office in the state of Hawaii located in Honolulu.
The award rate for SSD cases that go before ALJs in Hawaii is 66.9%, a full 8 percentage points higher than the national average. As well, the processing time to have your case heard in Hawaii is 299 days compared to 349 days nationally. The Honolulu office awards a staggering 78.6% of the SSD cases heard by its ALJs. The table below shows the approval rates and processing times on a local, state and national level.
| Hearing Office | Approval Rate | Processing Time in Days |
| Honolulu | 78.6% | 299 |
Five Administrative Law Judges render decisions on the Hawaii social security disability cases that are heard in the Honolulu hearing office. If you work with an attorney who has experience presenting disability cases before one or more of the five judges, your attorney will likely be able to present a stronger case than if s/he had no familiarity or experience representing disability clients in the Honolulu hearing office.
You can sign up to get a free initial consultation. Just complete the evaluation form on this site. There is no cost to you and no obligation to retain legal services. You will not be required to pay any attorney’s fees at all unless your Hawaii disability lawyer wins your case. Click on the city closest to you below for more information on hiring a Hawaii social security attorney:
