Residents of Bend (Deschutes County) who are unable to work due to a disability are eligible to receive disability benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA). Bend disability attorneys and advocates are available to assist claimants with the process of applying for disability. As of December 2011, there were 4,010 individuals receiving SSDI benefits and 2,010 individuals receiving SSI benefits in Deschutes County.
You will have to decide whether you want to apply for SSDI or SSI, before submitting your application. Click here for more info on the two programs.
A disability applicant living in Bend can either apply for disability online or at one of the local offices listed below:
336 SW Cyber Dr
Suite 100
Bend, OR 97702
194 Beverly Drive
Oregon City, OR 97045
Hiring a Bend Disability Attorney
The process of hiring a disability attorney is pretty simple. All disability attorneys offer free consultations of your case. After the consultation, you can choose whether or not you want to sign with the attorney. If you sign with an attorney, your attorney will ask you to fill out and sign Form SSA-1696. This lets the SSA know that your attorney will be acting as your legal representation.
Click here for more info on the benefits of having an attorney.
A Bend, Oregon Social Security Disability lawyer will also handle claims for those residing in DeSchutes, Crook, Jefferson, Lane, Lake and Klamath counties, and nearby cities such as Redmond, Springfield, Lebanon, Eugene, Albany, Corvallis, Hayesville, Salem, Keizer, and Woodburn.
You should contact the Deschutes County Bar Association, if you have any questions about hiring an attorney in the city of Bend.
Bend Disability Hearings
You will be required to go to a disability hearing, if your claim is denied at the initial and reconsideration stages of the disability application process. All Bend disability applicants will have to go to the Eugene, OR hearing office. Currently, there are 3,591 pending cases at the Eugene office and the wait time is 482 days.
From October 2012 to January 2013, the Eugene hearing office had 721 hearings scheduled. Approximately 84.5% of these hearings were resolved (approved, partially approved or denied). The 7 judges in the Eugene office handled about 1.3 dispositions per day or approximately 9 hearings scheduled per day.
If you or your attorney is not able to make it to Eugene for the hearing, you can request for a video hearing. Approximately 31% of the hearings in Eugene are held through a videoconference.
A Bend disability attorney will prove to be very helpful during your hearing. He or she will be able help you prepare for the questions you will asked not only by the judge, but also the questions from the medical and vocational experts used by the SSA.
In extreme cases of medical or financial need, you can contact your local congressman and request that he or she makes a congressional inquiry to see if your claim could be processed sooner. The office address for your local congressman is:
1051 NW Bond St., Suite 400
Bend, OR 97701
Phone: 541-389-4408
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