Portland Social Security Attorney
Some of the hard-working Maine residents who live and work in the Portland area don't really pay very close attention to the deductions that are taken out of their paychecks. They do know that a portion goes to the state and to the federal government. They also know that a portion goes to the Social Security system. Most individuals do not worry about getting the Social Security benefits that they have paid for, however, until they are ready to retire. Unfortunately, there are some individuals who need disability benefits from the Social Security Administration well before retirement age, such as disabled workers whose conditions are so severe that they are no longer able to maintain their employment activities. The problem is, actually obtaining Social Security Disability benefits isn't as easy as many applicants hope it will be. In fact, you may want to consider consulting with a Portland Social Security Disability attorney before you even consider applying for disability benefits in the Portland, Maine area.
Portland is one of the economic leaders in the State of Maine. This is largely due to the fact that the city has one of the state& rsquo;s highest population rates, is home to the state’s largest port and the economy has seen evolution from fishing and agriculture to more service-based industries. Some of Portland’s major employers include Bank of America, Fidelity Investments, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield and Pioneer Telephone. The median household income in the city is approximately $42,000 while the cost of living index is 13 percent higher than the national average.
Applying for Portland Social Security Disability Benefits
Portland, Maine is home to nearly 64,000 Maine residents. In the State of Maine, approximately 33,500 residents are currently receiving Social Security Disability benefits and that number goes up each year. The average disability payment to a disabled worker is approximately $1,000 per month. While an additional $1,000 or more per month can significantly offset some of the financial hardship that can be caused by a long-term or permanent disability, the truth is that it will take most Portland disability applicants approximately two years to see their first disability payment from the Social Security Administration.
Why does it take so long for a Portland Social Security Disability applicant to begin receiving disability payments when the initial application process should only take three to six months to complete? The extensive processing times are due to the fact that the majority of disability claims are denied by the Social Security Administration during the initial stage of the application process. These applicants must then add their appeal to the more than 750,000 disability cases that are already backlogged in the Social Security system.
When a Portland disability applicant appeals a denied disability claim, they usually have to attend a disability hearing in order to overturn the SSA's decision to deny their disability payments. The office that is in charge of scheduling the disability hearings for Portland residents is actually located in the city of Portland, which convenient since many disability applicants in other areas of the nation have to travel hours to attend a hearing held at an ODAR office. Unfortunately, it takes this office an average of 314 days to schedule a disability hearing from the date that a request for such a hearing is filed. Once that hearing has been conducted, it takes a Portland disability applicant another two to three months to be notified regarding the outcome of that hearing.
Hiring a Portland Disability Attorney
If you want to avoid the need for a disability hearing and have your disability benefits approved in a matter of months, your best bet is to work with a Portland 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 provide the SSA with the medical evidence that will be needed to prove your disability to the adjudicator who will be reviewing your file.
If, for some reason, your application for benefits is still denied (or if you were denied benefits because you failed to retain the services of a Portland Social Security attorney prior to filing your claim), there is still hope. A Portland Social Security lawyer can represent you through each stage of the disability appeal process, increasing your chances of successfully overturning the SSA's decision to deny your disability benefits.
The first stage of a disability appeal is called a Request for Reconsideration. Your attorney will have to file this request within 60 days of your denial of benefits. It is important to remember, however, that this request will more than likely be denied. In fact, fewer than 20 percent of reconsideration requests are granted by the Social Security Administration. Once this request has been denied by the SSA, you and your lawyer will be able to request a disability hearing before an administrative law judge.
The good news is that nearly two-thirds of disability cases are decided in favor of the disability applicant when heard by an administrative law judge. However, your chances of your particular case being won depend on your hearing strategy and the administrative law judge who your case is assigned to. You will definitely want a Portland disability attorney working on this hearing for you. Statistics have shown that applicants who attend a hearing with proper legal representation are much more likely to be awarded benefits than applicants who choose to represent themselves.
If you are interested in obtaining a free evaluation of your Social Security Disability case or to get more information about hiring a Portland Social Security Disability attorney to assist you in your disability claim, click here.
