Riverside, California, located in Southern California beside the Santa Ana River, is the State’s 12th largest city. Situated in California’s smog belt about 60 miles east of Los Angeles, Riverside has a population of over 300,000. The city’s residents are employed in mining, education and health services, professional and business services, transportation, utilities, government, leisure and hospitality industries, finance, and government.
About Riverside, California
Historically, the area has been the center of the local citrus industry, as well as being involved in the motion picture industry. One of the first two original navel orange trees, the Parent Washington Navel Orange Tree, is a tourist attraction in Riverside, as is the Mission Inn, a popular film backdrop. Local manufacturers include Goodrich Aerospace (aircraft components), K&N Engineering (automotive parts), Pepsi Cola Bottling Co. (soft drinks), E.R. Carpentery Company (plastics and foam), Luxfer Gas Cylinders (high pressure cylinders), and Bourns, Inc. (electronics equipment).
The University of California Riverside is located in the city, as are the Fox Performing Arts Center, the California Museum of Photography, and the California Citrus State Historic Park.
Riverside has a racially diverse population, although the great majority of its residents are Caucasian or Latino. About 30% of its population is over the age of 45 and about the same percentage of households consist of people living alone. The city’s population is evenly divided between genders. About 16% of the population lives below the poverty line, including 8% of those aged 65 or older.
Applying for Riverside Social Security Disability Benefits
Riverside’s disabled population mirrors that of the state as a whole. Social Security records indicate the number of disabled workers in Riverside number 9,760 out of a total 73,655 people receiving OASDI benefits. Riverside itself reports that about 10% of the population aged 16-64 is disabled. About 4% of those who are disabled report limitations in their daily activities.
Those whose disabilities are severe may eventually need to apply for Social Security Disability benefits. Residents of California are not only eligible for federal benefits under Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), but also for California State Disability Insurance (SDI). Each of these programs is completely separate but each still affects the other.
For example, your SSDI benefits will be reduced by the amount you receive under SDI. It is a good idea to utilize the Riverside Social Security Disability Resources to learn about the requirements of each program and then assist you in submitting your application(s).
A Riverside Social Security Disability lawyer can not only help you determine for which program(s) you are eligible, he or she can advise you regarding the best way to apply. Your Riverside Social Security Disability lawyer can also be of great help in assembling the medical records you will need to make your case to the agency to which you apply.
Hiring a Riverside Disability Attorney
The vast majority of initial claims for Social Security Disability benefits are denied. Don’t be discouraged. The odds increase in your favor if you pursue the appeals process. Because this is a legal appeals process, it is in your best interest to have a qualified Riverside Social Security attorney or other professional who understands the system to help you understand the rules to be followed in submitting a disability claim and to present your appeal effectively, including calling and questioning witnesses before the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ).
From a purely physical standpoint, it is often easier to delegate the time-consuming chores of gathering and analyzing your medical records to a Riverside Social Security Disability lawyer than it is for you to accomplish the same tasks while you are coping with a severe disability.
As an example of the issues you must address in your application, your medical records must prove that you are disabled, that your disability has lasted or is expected to last at least 12 months, and that your disability is severe enough to prevent you from engaging in “substantial gainful activity.” Your Riverside Social Security Disability lawyer must help you show the ALJ that your disability prevents you from working and that you are unable to train for another job, taking into consideration your age, educational background, and skills.
Statistics show that disabled Riverside residents who use a Riverside Social Security Disability attorney or other qualified Social Security representative have a much higher incidence of claims approval.
A Riverside Social Security Disability lawyer will also handle disability claims in the following cities located in Riverside County, Imperial County, San Diego County, Orange County, Los Angeles County, and San Bernardino County: Rubidoux, Casa Blanca, Canyon Crest, Mission Grove, La Sierra Acres, Pedley, Mira Loma, Sunnyslope, Highgrove, Moreno Valley, Woodcrest, Home Gardens, Corona, Norco, Glen Avon, Perris, Loma Linda, San Bernardino, and Bloomington.
For more on disability benefits in California, see How To Qualify For Disability In California.
