Davie benefits from a diverse economy with area businesses ranging from small grass-roots shops to large Fortune 500 companies. The government also provides area jobs, employing 13 percent of Davie-area residents. The region is economically stable with a mean salary of approximately $45,037 per year. In fact, Davie, Florida rates number 28 on the list of the Top of Highest-Paid States. Overall, the cost of living in Davie is only 17 percent higher than the national average.
There are more than 90,000 Florida residents who make Davie their home. In the State of Florida, approximately 4.1 percent of the population receives Social Security Disability benefits. While Florida disability recipients receive an average monthly disability benefit amount of $1,068.10, it takes most of these applicants well over a year before they begin receiving payments from the Social Security Administration.
If you are blind and interested in disability benefits, you may be eligible for blind work expenses as well.
Applying for Davie Social Security Disability Benefits
When a person suffers from a disability that prevents them from performing full-time work, the financial ramifications can be devastating. Whether that individual is responsible only themselves or must support a family, the financial consequences of a disability become quickly apparent. Since the disabled worker is unable to earn an income, the bills quickly begin to pile up and past-due notices begin to come in.
Disability-related medical expenses only make matters worse. In many cases, Social Security Disability benefits are able to help. Unfortunately, actually obtaining these benefits is often easier said than done. In fact, the Social Security Administration denies approximately 70 percent of the initial claims that it receives each year. If you want to increase your chances of obtaining Social Security Disability benefits in the Davie, Florida area, the services of a Davie Social Security Disability attorney may be able to help.
Why does it take so long for Davie Social Security Disability applicants to begin receiving their Social Security Disability payments? The reason for the delay in benefits is due to the extensive waiting times that are required during the process of a disability appeal. Because the SSA denies 70 percent of the claims that are received each year, these applicants must appeal the SSA's decision to deny their benefits.
This appeal usually consists of a Request for Reconsideration and a disability hearing before an administrative law judge. The office that is in charge of scheduling the disability hearings for Davie-area disability applicants is located in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. It takes this office an average of 376 days to schedule a disability hearing.
Hiring a Davie Social Security Attorney
If you want to increase your chances of being approved for Social Security Disability benefits during the initial stage of the application process, thereby avoiding the need for a lengthy appeal, your best bet will be a Davie Social Security Disability lawyer. A Davie disability attorney can help you prepare your claim forms properly, gather the medical evidence that you need to prove your disability and submit your claim to the Social Security Administration in the best light possible.
If, for some reason, your initial application for benefits is still denied, your Davie Social Security lawyer can help you throughout each stage of the disability appeal process. This will include filing a Request for Reconsideration and representation at your disability hearing. In some cases, your lawyer may even retain expert witnesses to testify on your behalf.
While you are technically allowed to represent yourself at a disability hearing, doing so is probably not the best idea. While two-thirds of disability applicants do win their appeals at this stage of the process, your chances of being among them are significantly increased with proper legal representation. Statistics show that applicants who retain a legal professional to represent them at their disability hearing are more likely to be awarded benefits than applicants who choose to represent themselves.
Fortunately, the services of a Davie disability attorney do not have to put you under added financial stress. These professionals work on a contingency basis, collecting 25 percent of the back pay that you are awarded by the Social Security Administration (up to a limit of $6,000). The exact amount your lawyer receives depends on how much you are awarded. If you do not win your Social Security Disability case, your Davie disability lawyer does not collect a fee.
A Davie Social Security Disability attorney will also handle disability claims in cities located in Belle Glade, Cocoa Beach, Delray Beach, Ft. Lauderdale, Melbourne, North Broward, Port St. Lucie, South Broward, Vero Beach and West Palm Beach.