At the Maine DDS, once an appealed claim arrives for Reconsideration, it currently takes 8 to 10 weeks for the claim to be assigned to a disability examiner. That is really a long time, and it is a response to the current volume of disability claims being evaluated by DDS.
Initial claims seem to be progressing at a normal pace. But Reconsideration claims are sitting unassigned. Once the claim is assigned, the Reconsideration process usually runs about 3 to 4 months. As a result, from the time of the appeal, 6 months or more can go by waiting for a Reconsideration determination.
Statistically, 85% of the disability claims that are appealed are denied again at Reconsideration. For most claimants, Reconsideration is now a 6 month detour on the way to a hearing.
These delays make it important to appeal your denied claim right away, so that even more time is not lost.