New York City Social Security Attorney
Each year the Social Security Administration (SSA) receives millions of Social Security Disability claims. Of the disability applications received nationwide, only about 30 percent are approved at the initial stage of the claim process. Hiring a New York Social Security attorney can help your chances of receiving an approval of your initial Social Security Disability claim. If for some reason your Social Security Disability application is not approved at the initial stage of the application process, a disability lawyer can also help increase your chances of a successful appeal.
New York City is home to the largest regional economy in the United States. The finance, health care, insurance and real estate industries are the core of New York's economy. New York City is also home to the New York Stock Exchange, the largest stock exchange in the world by market capitalization. In 2005, the New York metropolitan area had a gross metropolitan product of approximately $1.13 trillion and by the end of 2008 New York controlled about 40-percent of the world's finances.
Many major corporations base their headquarters in New York City, including 42 Fortune 500 companies. New York is also home to the nation's second-largest television and film industry, with Hollywood being the first. While manufacturing does account for a large number of jobs in New York City, the manufacturing industry is steadily declining as a contributing factor to New York's economy. Furniture, metal products, processed foods, chemicals and garments make up the principal products New York’s manufacturing industry.
Applying for New York City Social Security Disability Benefits
There are more than 8 million residents living in New York City, and the Social Security Administration currently provides Social Security Disability benefits to more than 400,000 New York workers. The median Social Security Disability benefit payment received by disabled New York workers is about $12,200 per year, or about $1016 per month. In order to qualify for disability benefits in New York, an individual must suffer from a disability that prevents them from earning a substantial gainful income and the disability must be expected to last at least one year or longer. The disabled individual must also have earned enough “work credits” to qualify them for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits. If a person has not earned enough work credits to qualify for SSDI, they may be able to qualify for Supplemental Security Income (SSI), a need-based disability program.
Filing an application for SSDI or SSI benefits can be an overwhelming and complicated endeavor. If you do not provide the right information or do not present your information in the proper way, your request for Social Security Disability benefits may be denied. In fact, fully 65 percent of the applications filed in New York are not approved at the initial application stage. Fortunately, working with a New York disability attorney can help increase your chances of a successful Social Security Disability application.
Hiring a New York City Disability Attorney
When you hire a New York Social Security Disability lawyer to represent your case, your lawyer will ensure that all necessary paperwork is filled out completely and properly. Your disability attorney can also ensure that your case is presented to the Social Security Administration in the best light possible, helping to improve your chances of an approval at the initial stage of the Social Security Disability application process.
If for some reason your initial application for disability benefits is denied, an attorney can help you through the appeal process. Statistics show that individuals who have legal representation through the SSA’s appeal process are more likely to have an appeal decided in their favor than those individuals who do not obtain legal representation. The longer you wait to hire a New York Social Security attorney, the harder it may become for your attorney to help you win your case.
If you have already filed your disability application and that application has been denied, you should consult with a New York lawyer regarding your case as soon as possible. While it is possible to file a Request for Reconsideration without hiring an attorney, your chances of successfully appealing your denied disability claim increase significantly with legal representation.
If you hire a New York Social Security Disability lawyer you may want to consider bypassing the reconsideration stage of the appeal process altogether. In New York you can request a hearing before the SSA as soon as your initial application for disability benefits has been denied. This can save you valuable time and allows your lawyer to get right to work on the important part of your Social Security Disability appeal. Fewer than ten percent of appeals are won at the reconsideration level, while two-thirds are won at the hearing stage of the process. By skipping the reconsideration stage of the appeal process you can take months off of the total time that it takes to be approved for Social Security Disability payments.
It is crucial that you have a New York disability attorney representing you at your Social Security Disability hearing. A lawyer will aid you in obtaining the proper medical evidence and will advise you as to what you should (and should not) do at the hearing. Your attorney will also make sure that your hearing is handled properly and that the administrative law judge who presides over your case has all of the information they need to make a favorable decision regarding your Social Security Disability benefits.
Fortunately, you do not have to pay for the services of a New York Social Security lawyer up front. Your attorney will only be paid if and when you win your Social Security Disability case. The Social Security lawyer that you hire will receive either 25 percent of your disability back pay or $6,000 (whichever is less) when your benefits are paid to you. Not only does this arrangement make it more affordable for you to hire an attorney, but it also motivates your lawyer to win your case and get you the best possible resolution.
It is important to understand that a Social Security lawyer will not take every single disability case. If, for some reason, your case appears to be weak or if there are other contributing factors, it could be difficult to find legal representation. In most cases, however, when an individual is filing a legitimate Social Security Disability claim based on a proven disabling medical condition, a New York disability attorney will be happy to assist.
If you are interested in having an attorney review your SSDI or SSI claim, click here to request a free disability evaluation and to learn more about hiring a New York Social Security Disability lawyer.
A New York City Social Security Disability lawyer will also handle disability claims in the following cities located in New York County, Kings County, Queens County, Richmond County, Westchester, and Bronx County: Manhattan, Staten Island, Queens, The Bronx, Brooklyn, Mt. Vernon, New Rochelle, White Plains, Yonkers, Hyde Park, Elmont, Hempstead, Mamaroneck, Woodmere, Levittown, Harrison, Eastchester, Tarrytown, and Hawthorne.
