Individuals applying for social security disability benefits in Winston-Salem must prove that they are suffering from a disability that keeps them from obtaining employment for no less than twelve months. If you are injured, you should receive and document your ongoing medical treatment immediately. Your medical records play an important role in the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) disability determination procedure.
Once you have submitted an application for review, the SSA will forward your application to the North Carolina Disability Determination Services (DDS) where an administration team will review your application and request your medical records. If there is sufficient medical evidence to support your claim, the DDS will make a determination in your favor and send your social security disability file back to the local Winston-Salem field office. If there is not enough evidence in your file to support your claim, the DDS may deny your request for disability benefits altogether.
If your application is denied, you have the option to appeal the decision within 60 days of receiving the determination letter. If your claim is denied a second time, you have the opportunity to appeal once more and request that your case be heard by an administration law judge. Presently the state of North Carolina DDS approves about one-quarter of all initial disability claims submitted to the SSA. Only 9% of first appeals reconsiderations are awarded. However, the Greensboro, NC hearing office which reviews second appeals in social security disability cases from Winston-Salem, Asheboro and a few other cities has an award rate of 61.6%.
Winston-Salem Health Resources
It is extremely important that you get the medical attention you need to document not just the fact that you have a disability, but your treatment. Determining social security disability benefits in Winston-Salem includes putting together a timeline of expected recovery. The DDS administration panel uses your doctor’s treatment plan to determine if the injury you have suffered is one from which you will likely recover and how long that recovery will take.
If you do not have access to medical care, there are free and low-cost health facilities in Winston-Salem that can serve you. For a more comprehensive list of health clinics and medical services available in Winston-Salem contact the CHANGE office at 336-721-1660
Community Care Center
2135 New Walkertown Road
Winston-Salem, NC 27101
(336) 723-7904
Downtown Health Plaza
1200 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive
Winston-Salem, NC 27101
(336) 713-9800
Winston-Salem Rescue Mission, Inc.
717 Oak Street
Winston-Salem, NC 27101
(336) 723-1848
Mental Health Resources in Winston-Salem
A mental illness can also keep you from being able to obtain and keep gainful employment. If you are suffering from a mental illness and you are not currently under the watchful care of a mental health professional, you can contact the Mental Health Association in Forsyth County for information on free and low-cost mental health services in Winston-Salem.
Mental Health Association
1509 S. Hawthorne Road
Winston-Salem, NC 27103
(336) 768-3880
Winston-Salem Supplemental Social Security Benefits
Disabled individuals living in an adult care home in the state of North Carolina can qualify to receive state supplemental benefits in addition to the Federal social security disability benefits. The Federal social security disability benefits for an independent individual is $943 and $1,415 for a couple.
When to Find a Winston-Salem Social Security Disability Attorney
If you are suffering from a disability that has left you unable to work, waiting the year it can take to process your initial disability claim and any subsequent appeals can be financially devastating. So often, people don’t hire a Winston-Salem social security disability attorney until after their claim has been denied.
The truth is, a Winston-Salem disability attorney has extensive knowledge of how the social security administration works and may be able to help expedite your case. Disability attorneys usually provide free initial consultations and typically don’t charge you a fee unless they win your case. If your attorney wins, a standard fee of 25% of your award is collected from past due benefits or through a fee petition. The maximum an attorney can collect is $6,000.
