Kalamazoo Social Security Attorney
Applying for Kalamazoo Social Security Disability Benefits
Each year the Social Security Administration receives millions of applications for Social Security Disability benefits. Nearly all of the applicants who apply for these benefits pay taxes into the Social Security system and in exchange for these payments they assume that they should receive Social Security Disability benefits if they should ever face a long-term or permanent disability that prevents them from maintaining employment. Unfortunately, actually obtaining these benefits can be a struggle. When a disabled worker in Kalamazoo submits a claim for Social Security Disability benefits, they are denied more often than they are approved. If you want to increase your chances of receiving an approval of your Social Security Disability claim, you should consider retaining the services of a Kalamazoo Social Security Disability attorney.
In the past Kalamazoo’s economy relied heavily on agriculture. While agriculture still plays a role in the city’s economic well-being, it no longer plays the leading role that it once did. Nowadays the breweries that are located in the city provide many of the area jobs and contribute significantly to Kalamazoo’s economic climate. In addition to the breweries, Kalamazoo also relies on the jobs and economic stimulation provided by the companies owned by the Todd family, such as the A.M. Todd Company and the Kalsec flavorings company. The median household income in Kalamazoo is approximately $31,000 while the cost of living index comes in at approximately 16 percent below the national average.
There are more than 77,000 Michigan residents who call Kalamazoo home. In the State of Michigan, approximately 4.8 percent of the population receives Social Security Disability benefits. The average monthly payment to a disabled Michigan worker is $1,121.80 per month. Unfortunately, it can take Kalamazoo residents well over a year before seeing their first disability payment from the Social Security Administration. Kalamazoo residents who are applying for Social Security Disability benefits will normally deal with the Grand Rapids, Michigan ODAR office. It takes this office an average of 539 days to process a request for a disability hearing. This 538-day time period does not count the time that it takes for an applicant to complete the initial application process and the Request for Reconsideration appeal. This means that the average Kalamazoo disability applicant will wait more than two years before they see their first disability payment from the Social Security Administration.
Hiring a Kalamazoo Disability Attorney
While the initial application process for Social Security Disability benefits only takes three to six months to complete, most applications are denied by the Social Security Administration during the initial stage of the application process. The truth is that nearly 70 percent of disability applicants must file an appeal in order to obtain the disability benefits they are entitled to. Because of this, it is in an applicant's best interests to retain the services of a Kalamazoo Social Security Disability lawyer if they hope to increase their chances of receiving an approval at the initial stage of the application process.
When you hire a Kalamazoo 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 in order to prove the extent of your disability to the Social Security Administration. 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 claim.
If your initial claim for disability benefits is denied, a Kalamazoo Social Security lawyer will work with you to appeal the SSA’s decision to deny your benefits. For most Kalamazoo 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 Social Security Administration. You and your lawyer will be focusing on the hearing stage of the appeal process. Because it will take well over a year 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 Kalamazoo disability attorney so that you can gather additional medical evidence for the administrative law judge to review and, if necessary, retain expert witnesses to testify on your behalf at your disability hearing.
Your Kalamazoo disability attorney will also prepare you for your hearing on a personal level, helping you understand what you should expect at your hearing and how you should respond to the questions that are asked by the administrative law judge. Many Social Security Disability applicants question whether or not they actually need legal representation at this hearing. Statistics have shown that applicants who obtain legal representation are much more likely to be awarded benefits than those who do not.
If you are interested in obtaining an evaluation of your Social Security Disability case, click here for your free Social Security Disability evaluation and to get more information about hiring a Kalamazoo Social Security Disability attorney.
