El Cajon Social Security Attorney
There are thousands of hard-working American taxpayers living in El Cajon, California. These citizens work hard every day, going to work and earning an honest living. They often live from paycheck to paycheck, relying on this income to keep a roof over their heads and meet their daily living expenses. What happens when these individuals are suddenly faced with a long-term or permanent disability that prevents them from being able to work? That is when Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income are supposed to kick in and help these individuals make ends meet. Unfortunately, actually getting disability benefits from the Social Security Administration is not as easy as it should be. That is why it is so important to retain the services of a qualified El Cajon Social Security Disability attorney if you are planning on filing a claim for Social Security Disability benefits.
The City of El Cajon is located in San Diego County. The median income of the city ranges from $43,000 per year to $68,000 per year depending on the part of the city that a worker lives and works in. The city's top employers include Grossmont–Cuyamaca Community College District, GKN Aerospace Chem-tronics, the City of El Cajon, Coit Cleaners, Windowmaster, Cass Construction, Taylor Guitars, Grossmont Union High School District and Sears. While the area's median income may be higher than much of the nation's, so is its annual cost of living. The annual cost of living in El Cajon comes in at 34 percent higher than the national average.
Applying for El Cajon Social Security Disability Benefits
The City of El Cajon is home to approximately 94,000 California residents. In the State of California, approximately 2.9 percent of the population receives Social Security Disability benefits. The average Social Security Disability payment that is received by a disabled California worker is $1,083.80 per month. While this monthly payment can help with some of the financial stress that is caused by a disability, most El Cajon Social Security Disability applicants will wait more than two years before seeing their first disability check from the Social Security Administration.
Why does it take so long for an El Cajon disability applicant to receive their first disability payment? This is largely due to the fact that the majority of claims are denied by the SSA during the initial stage of the disability claim process. These applicants must then pursue a disability appeal and when they do, they go to the back of a line where millions of disability cases are waiting to be heard by an administrative law judge. Unfortunately, it takes the office that is in charge of scheduling the hearings for El Cajon disability applicants an average of 602 days to schedule a hearing before an administrative law judge.
Hiring an El Cajon Disability Attorney
Many El Cajon Social Security Disability applicants wonder if there is a way to avoid the need for a disability appeal. You can avoid the need for a disability appeal and the long wait times for a hearing, but you have to have your initial claim for Social Security Disability benefits approved by the Social Security Administration in order to do so. This is where the services of a qualified El Cajon Social Security Disability lawyer can help.
When you retain the services of an El Cajon Social Security attorney during the initial stage of the application process, your lawyer will work with you to gather the medical evidence that the SSA will need to see before they will approve your Social Security Disability claim. Your attorney will also help you fill out the claim forms properly, ensuring that the SSA is given enough details to support your claim for benefits. If, for some reason, your initial claim for Social Security Disability benefits is still denied by the Social Security Administration, your El Cajon Social Security lawyer can represent you through each stage of the disability appeal process.
The average disability appeal consists of two stages. The first stage is called a Request for Reconsideration. This process normally takes three to six months (in addition to the three to six months that it took to file your initial disability claim). Unfortunately, more than 80 percent of these reconsideration requests are also denied by the Social Security Administration.
The second stage of appeals is called a disability hearing. This is when you will appear before an administrative law judge. This judge has the power to overturn the SSA's decision to deny your disability claim. This is also when you have the best chance of being awarded the disability benefits you may be entitled to. It is estimated that nearly two-thirds of disability applicants are awarded benefits as a result of a hearing before an administrative law judge. It is important to remember, however, that without proper legal representation your chances of a successful hearing outcome drop significantly.
If you have already applied for disability benefits without the help of an El Cajon disability attorney and that application has been denied, it is still not too late. You should, however, contact an El Cajon disability lawyer as soon as possible. Your attorney will need as much time as you can give them to prepare your disability appeal.
If you would like to request a free evaluation of your Social Security Disability claim and learn more about hiring an Social Security Disability lawyer to represent you in your disability case, simply fill out the form for a free case evaluation.
