It is no secret that many American citizens become frustrated with the help they try to receive from the Social Security Administration. In a world where customer service used to be a priority, finding good service is becoming less and less common. This is even truer when dealing with state and federal agencies.
When considering applying for Social Security Disability benefits, many applicants are faced with the question of whether it is better to hire a qualified disability lawyer to help with the initial application process, or if a person should only retain the services of a Social Security attorney once their claim is denied.
If you’re applying for Social Security Disability and have a mental illness, you’ll need to prove that your disability prevents you from working in any job, for at least a year. The large majority of disability applicants have their initial applications denied, and those who are applying for disability based on a psychiatric condition may have an even harder time getting their application approved.
Below are 3 common reasons that the Social Security Administration (SSA) may deny your mental illness disability claim:
When you apply for Social Security Disability benefits and are denied, you can appeal the decision by filing a Request for Reconsideration. If a second denial is received, you will then take your place in the queue of the many Social Security applicants who are waiting for their disability hearing in front of an administrative law judge. Although the wait for a hearing can be long – more than a year – the plus side of this is that you’ll get plenty of time to prepare for your hearing.
When you’re approved for Social Security Disability benefits, you’ll receive a copy of the decision in the mail that approves your benefits, and shortly thereafter, a Social Security Notice of Award letter. This important document explains how your disability payments were calculated, when you’ll receive them, and any retroactive benefits that you may be entitled to (if you were found disabled as of a past date).
Members of the military who were injured while on active duty and after October 1, 2001 are eligible for expedited processing of their Social Security Disability applications. This is the case regardless of whether the injury occurred in the United States or elsewhere.
A recent article appearing in the Wall Street Journal detailed the efforts of the Baltimore Social Security Administration (SSA) Office to rapidly reduce the backlog of applications for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits in the region. It stated the Baltimore SSA Office’s “crackdown” on physicians who review SSDI claims resulted in several doctors resigning and in the denial of many claims that should have been approved under the SSDI’s guidelines.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) Office in the city of Ft. Wayne, Indiana has made tremendous strides in cutting the wait time for disability applicants. There are more than 700,000 backlogged applications for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits nationwide and the expected wait time for the average applicant to receive a determination regarding eligibility for benefits is about 14 months.
An investigation conducted by federal prosecutors from the Social Security Administration (SSA) has had some far reaching implications for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) review processes and procedures. The primary subject of the investigation is Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) David B. Daugherty from the Huntington, West Virginia SSA office, though attention also fell on other ALJs throughout the nation.
In the past, Social Security beneficiaries had the option to receive a monthly benefit check in the mail. In the near future, that option will no longer be available and anyone who gets Social Security of any kind, including disability benefits, will receive their benefit payments electronically.
