Each year the Social Security Administration receives millions of applications from Social Security Disability applicants. Nearly all of the applicants who apply for these benefits pay taxes to the Social Security administration and in exchange for these payments they rely on the fact that they will be able to obtain benefits should the need arise.
The problem is, actually getting these benefits isn’t always as easy as one would imagine. In fact, the majority of people who apply for these benefits are denied by the SSA during the initial stage of the application process. If you hope to increase your chances of being awarded the benefits that you may be entitled to, then you should consider enlisting the help of a West Bloomfield Township Social Security Disability attorney.
West Bloomfield Township is a charter township located in Oakland County in Michigan. The township is located within the Detroit metropolitan area. Although unemployment rates in the Detroit metro area tend to be high, West Bloomfield Township is more affluent than many of its surrounding communities.
The unemployment rate of the township is only 7.30, which is lower than the 9.10 national average. The median household income in West Bloomfield Township is in excess of $114,000. The township was ranked as having the 8th highest median income in the United States. While the median household income in West Bloomfield Township is much higher than the national average, the cost of living index is only 4 percent higher than the national average.
Applying for West Bloomfield Township Social Security Disability Benefits
There are nearly 65,000 Michigan residents who call West Bloomfield Township home. In the State of Michigan, approximately 4.8 percent of the population receives disability benefits from the Social Security Administration. The average monthly payment that a disabled Michigan worker receives is $1,121.80.
Unfortunately, for most West Bloomfield Township residents, this monthly benefit payment does not begin soon enough. For the majority of West Bloomfield Township Social Security Disability applicants, a wait of well over two years must be endured before benefits begin.
West Bloomfield Township residents who are applying for Social Security Disability benefits will normally deal with the Detroit, Michigan ODAR office. It takes this office an average of 498 days to process a request for a disability hearing. This is in addition to the time that it takes for an applicant to complete the initial application process and the Request for Reconsideration stage of appeals.
While the initial application process for Social Security Disability benefits only takes three to six months to complete, most applications are denied by the SSA during the initial stage of the application process due to the fact that there is not satisfactory evidence found in either the Adult Disability Report or Form SSA-827. In fact, nearly 70 percent of disability applicants must file an appeal in order to obtain the disability benefits that they are entitled to. Because of this, it is in an applicant's best interests to retain the services of a West Bloomfield Township Social Security Disability lawyer if they hope to increase their chances of receiving an approval at the initial stage of the application process.
For more info on qualifying for disability in Michigan, see How To Qualify For Disability In Michigan.
Hiring a West Bloomfield Township Disability Attorney
When you hire a West Bloomfield Township Social Security attorney, your attorney will go over your disability claim with you and will help you gather the medical evidence that you will need to support your Social Security Disability claim. Your lawyer can also help you prepare your disability claim forms, which will ensure that your claim is presented in the best light possible to the SSA adjudicator who will be reviewing your file. This will increase your chance of receiving an approval of your initial disability application.
If your initial claim for disability benefits is denied, a West Bloomfield Township Social Security lawyer will work with you to appeal the SSA’s decision to deny your benefits. For most West Bloomfield Township disability applicants, the appeal process consists of two stages including a reconsideration request and a disability hearing.
It is important to understand that fewer than 20 percent of reconsideration requests are actually granted by the SSA. You and your lawyer will be focusing on the hearing stage of the appeal process. Because it will take nearly two years before you are scheduled for a hearing before an administrative law judge, it is crucial that you do everything that you can to ensure that your hearing goes as smoothly as possible. This means working with your West Bloomfield Township disability attorney so that you can gather additional medical evidence for the administrative law judge to review.
Your West Bloomfield Township disability attorney will also prepare you for your hearing by helping you understand what to expect at your hearing. Many Social Security Disability applicants question whether or not they actually need legal representation at this hearing. The truth is that statistics have shown that applicants who obtain legal representation are much more likely to be awarded benefits than those who choose to represent themselves.
Here is more information on hiring a social security attorney in other cities in Michigan:
- Ann Arbor, MI
- Canton, MI
- Dearborn, MI
- Detroit, MI
- Farmington Hills, MI
- Flint, MI
- Grand Rapids, MI
- Kalamazoo, MI
- Lansing, MI
- Livonia, MI
- Southfield, MI
- Sterling Heights, MI
- Troy, MI
- Warren, MI
- Waterford, MI
- Westland, MI
- Wyoming, MI
Anyone living in West Bloomfield Township can apply for SSI (or SSDI) at their closest Social Security office in Michigan.
