Baytown Social Security Attorney
Many of the hard-working Texas residents who live and work in the City of Baytown pay for retirement and disability benefits that are provided by the Social Security Administration. These Baytown residents understand that in return for paying these taxes, the Social Security Administration will provide them with a monthly benefit payment should they ever suffer from a long-term or permanent disability. Because of this, most Baytown, Texas workers don’t worry about what will happen or how they will make ends meet if they ever suffer from a disability that prevents them from continuing their employment activities. Unfortunately, when one of these workers becomes disabled and decides to file a claim for Social Security Disability benefits, they often find that cashing in on these benefits isn't as easy they had thought it would be. In fact, most Baytown Social Security Disability applicants are denied benefits when they first apply. Because of this, if you are in need of Social Security Disability benefits in the Baytown, Texas area, you may want to consider consulting with a Baytown Social Security Disability attorney before you begin your Social Security Disability application.
The foundation of Baytown’s economy lies upon the three industrial districts that belong to the city. These districts are home to a number of petroleum and petrochemical processing plants. Some of Baytown’s primary employers include ExxonMobile, Bayer and Chevron. In addition to the petroleum and petrochemical businesses that are located in Baytown, the wholesale and warehouse sectors also play a significant role in the city’s economic climate. The median household income in Baytown is approximately $48,000 while the cost of living index comes in at nearly 8 percent below the national average.
Baytown is home to approximately 72,000 Texas residents. In the State of Texas, approximately 3.4 percent of the population receives Social Security Disability benefits. The average payment that a disabled Texas worker receives from the Social Security Administration is $1,050.30 per month. While this monthly payment can help a disabled Texas worker offset some of the financial strain that can be caused by a long-term or permanent disability, the truth is that it will take most Baytown disability applicants between one to two years before they see their first Social Security Disability payment.
Why does it take so long for Baytown Social Security Disability applicants to begin receiving disability payments when the initial application process is only supposed to take three to six months to complete? The extensive processing times are due to the fact that the majority of Baytown disability claims are denied by the Social Security Administration during the initial stage of the application process. These denied applicants must then add their appeal to the already-extensive backlog of appeals that are currently overwhelming the Social Security system.
When a Baytown disability applicant appeals a denied disability claim, they usually have to attend a disability hearing in order to obtain the disability benefits they may be entitled to. ODAR offices (Office of Adjudication and Review) are the offices that are in charge of scheduling these hearings. The ODAR office that is in charge of scheduling the disability hearings for Baytown disability applicants is located in Fort Worth. It takes this office an average of 253 days to schedule a disability hearing for a disability applicant. Once that hearing has been conducted, it takes a Baytown disability applicant another two to three months to be notified regarding the outcome of that hearing.
When you combine the three to six months that it takes to complete the initial application process, the three to six months that it takes to complete the reconsideration request and the 253 days that it takes to obtain a disability hearing with the two to three month wait time for a disability hearing outcome, it becomes evident that it takes many Baytown disability applicants approximately two years to see their first check from the Social Security Administration, assuming that they will ever see payment at all.
If you want to avoid the need for a disability hearing and wish to have your disability benefits approved in a matter of months rather than a matter of years, your best bet is to work with a Baytown Social Security Disability lawyer. These professionals can help you in the preparation of your Social Security Disability claim, ensuring that you fill out all of your application paperwork properly and that you provide the SSA with the medical evidence that will be needed to prove your disability to the adjudicator who will be reviewing your disability file.
If, for some reason, your application for benefits is denied, a Baytown Social Security lawyer can represent you through each stage of your disability appeal, increasing your chances of successfully overturning the SSA’s decision to deny your Social Security Disability benefits.
If you are interested in obtaining a free evaluation of your Social Security Disability case or to get more information about hiring a Baytown Social Security Disability attorney to assist you in your disability claim, click here.
