Thousands of the people who live and work in Boca Raton work hard to earn their paychecks each and every payday. When these paychecks come, taxes are taken out to pay for Social Security benefits. These benefits are intended to provide for these workers when they retire and to protect them in case a long-term or permanent disability arises.
Unfortunately, actually obtaining disability benefits when a disability does arise is often a case of easier said than done. In fact, nearly 70 percent of the disability claims that are filed each year are denied by the Social Security Administration. This results in the need for a lengthy and complex disability appeal.
If you live in the Boca Raton area and are no longer able to work due to a long-term or permanent disability, you may want to consider the services of a Boca Raton Social Security Disability attorney to ensure that you will receive the Social Security Disability benefits that you may be entitled to.
About the Town of Boca Raton, Florida
Boca Raton is a hot tourist destination, so it goes without saying that the hospitality industry plays a large role in the city's economy. Luxury resorts bring in significant revenue, but the hospitality sector is far from being the only player in the Boca Raton area. The media, manufacturing, technology, insurance and educational sectors also play roles in the economic well-being of the city.
Some of Boca Raton's top employers include Office Depot, GEO Group, Boca Raton Resort, Boca Raton Regional Hospital, Florida Atlantic University and IBM. The city's median household income is over $63,000 per year while the city's cost of living comes in at only 17 percent higher than the national average.
Applying for Boca Raton Social Security Disability Benefits
Nearly 75,000 Florida residents call Boca Raton home. Approximately 4.1 percent of the population in Florida receives Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income. While the average monthly benefit amount of $1,068.10 that these residents receive can significantly offset the financial burdens that are normally associated with a disabling condition, most Boca Raton Social Security Disability applicants will have to wait nearly two years before they see their first disability payment from the Social Security Administration.
Why does it take so long for Boca Raton Social Security Disability applicants to begin receiving Social Security Disability payments from the Social Security Administration? The reason has to do with the significant number of applications that are denied by the Social Security Administration. While the initial application process only takes three to six months to complete, nearly 70 percent of disability claims are denied during the initial stage of the claim process. This results in the need for a disability appeal.
The standard disability appeal consists of a Request for Reconsideration and a disability hearing. It takes three to six months to complete the reconsideration request, but more than 80 percent of these requests are also denied by the SSA. This leaves the hearing stage of the appeal process. Unfortunately, there is a large volume of appeals backlogged in wait of a disability hearing.
The office in charge of scheduling hearings for Boca Raton disability applicants is located in Fort Lauderdale. This office has a wait time of approximately 376 days for a hearing to be scheduled before an administrative law judge.
Hiring a Boca Raton Disability Attorney
Many disability applicants want to avoid the disability appeal process, and with good reason. However, these individuals don't always understand how to improve their chances of being awarded benefits during the initial stage of the application process. Fortunately, in many cases, the services of a Boca Raton Social Security Disability lawyer can help.
When you hire a Boca Raton Social Security attorney to work on your disability claim, he or she will review your case with you. Your attorney will then help you fill out the Social Security Disability claim forms, ensuring that you have provided proper answers and have gathered enough medical evidence to prove your disability to the Social Security Administration. This will ensure that your application is submitted to the SSA in the best light possible.
If, despite the efforts of your attorney, your initial claim for benefits is still denied, your Boca Raton Social Security Disability lawyer can help you through each stage of the disability appeal process. They will file your reconsideration request and will then begin to prepare you for your disability hearing.
Technically, disability applicants are allowed to represent themselves at a disability hearing. Doing so, however, is not in your best interest. Statistics show that applicants who attend their hearing with proper legal representation are much more likely to be awarded benefits than applicants who try to represent themselves.
A Boca Raton disability attorney can also help disability applicants in the areas of Belle Glade, Cocoa Beach, Delray Beach, Ft. Lauderdale, Melbourne, North Broward, Port St. Lucie, South Broward, Vero Beach and West Palm Beach.
If you would like to request a free evaluation of your Social Security Disability case and want to learn more about hiring a Boca Raton Social Security Disability attorney or advocate to represent you during your Social Security Disability claim, simply fill out the form for a free case evaluation.
