Suffolk Social Security Attorney
If you’re a disabled worker and are applying for Social Security disability benefits in the Suffolk, Virginia area, you may feel confident that these benefits will be easily available to you. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Approximately 70% of Social Security disability applications are denied even though these workers have paid into the system for years. Of the disabled workers who eventually do receive benefits, the large majority face a wait of two years or more from the date of their application date before receiving a payment. It can be extremely difficult for a disabled worker to try to live on little or no income while their Social Security disability claim is pending.
Applying for Suffolk Social Security Disability Benefits
When a disabled Suffolk worker files an application for Social Security disability benefits, it will take approximately 3-4 months for them to receive a decision. If they receive a denial it can be appealed by filing a “Request for Reconsideration,” but they will then have to wait another 2-4 months for this decision to be issued. If a second denial is received, the applicant can file the another appeal, a “Request for Administrative Law Judge Hearing.” The largest percentage of claims are granted at hearing level, but there can be up to a two year wait to have a hearing. If you’re applying for disability benefits in the Suffolk, Virginia area, hiring a Suffolk Social Security attorney can increase the chances that your claim will be approved without having to undergo the Social Security appeals process. A Suffolk disability lawyer can emphasize the most important evidence and present your claim in the most favorable way possible.
The economy of Suffolk, Virginia, is a diverse combination of the transportation, industrial, distribution, retail, and farming industries. Several large manufacturing plants are among the area’s top employers, including those owned by Kraft Foods, Unilever, and Upton tea. Target and QVC also employ many Suffolk residents.
Around 84,000 residents live in Suffolk and the median household income is $1,142. Approximately 4.2% of all Virginia residents are currently receiving Social Security disability benefits. They receive an average monthly payment of $1,142.40.
The Social Security office in Norfolk, Virginia is responsible for scheduling hearings for Suffolk disability applicants. The average wait time for a hearing to be scheduled is nearly a year, at 294 days. This counts only the period of time when the Suffolk disability applicant was waiting for their hearing, and not the additional several months while their claim was being evaluated at the initial and reconsideration levels.
Hiring a Suffolk Disability Attorney
If you are disabled and unable to work, it can be frustrating and difficult to deal with the hassle of filing multiple appeals and the lengthy wait for a disability hearing. An experienced Suffolk Social Security disability attorney knows how to present the evidence in the most favorable light and can increase the chances of your application being approved the first time around.
If you do end up at an administrative law judge hearing, having a knowledgeable Suffolk disability lawyer on your side can be of great benefit. A Suffolk Social Security attorney knows how to prepare legal arguments proving exactly how you meet the Social Security Administration’s definition of disabled. A Suffolk disability attorney can also cross-examine any witnesses hired by the Social Security Administration. There is never a guarantee that the judge will find in your favor, but Suffolk, Virginia disability applicants should strongly consider hiring an experienced disability lawyer to give their case the best chance it has of being approved as quickly as possible.
You may think that you can’t afford to hire a Suffolk Social Security disability lawyer, but that isn’t the case. A Virginia disability lawyer only receives a fee if and when you are granted benefits. There are no upfront costs. A Suffolk disability lawyer’s fee would be 25% of your back benefit payments, up to a maximum of $6,000.
A Suffolk Social Security attorney will also handle disability claims for other area residents, including those in the nearby cities of Portsmouth, Norfolk, Newport News, Hampton, Virginia Beach, and Chesapeake.
Click here if you would like to request a free evaluation of your Social Security case and to learn more about applying for disability benefits in Suffolk and hiring an Virginia disability attorney.
