Waterford Social Security Attorney
Applying for Waterford Social Security Disability Benefits
This year alone the Social Security Administration is expected to receive more than three million applications for Social Security Disability benefits. Nearly all of the applicants who apply for these benefits pay taxes to the Social Security Administration, in exchange for which they should receive Social Security Disability benefits if they should ever face a long-term or permanent disability that prevents them from performing work activity. Unfortunately, actually obtaining these benefits can be a struggle. When a disabled worker in Waterford submits a claim for Social Security Disability benefits, they are denied more often than not. 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 Waterford Social Security Disability attorney.
The industries that play the leading roles in Waterford’s economy include the automotive, chemical and health sectors. Some of the area’s largest employers include General Motors, Ford Motor, Dow Chemicals, Delphi Automotive Systems, Affinia Group Inc. and Spectrum Health Hospitals. The median household income in Waterford is $71,171 and the cost of living index is four percent above the national average.
There are more than 73,000 Michigan residents who call Waterford Township home. In the State of Michigan, approximately 4.8 percent of the population is currently receiving Social Security Disability benefits. The average monthly payment to a disabled Michigan worker is $1,121.80 per month. Unfortunately, it can take Waterford residents well over a year before seeing their first disability payment from the Social Security Administration. Waterford residents who are applying for Social Security Disability benefits will normally deal with the Flint, Michigan ODAR office. It takes this office an average of 408 days to process a request for a disability hearing, and this is not counting the time that it takes for an applicant to complete the initial application process and the Request for Reconsideration stage of appeals. This means that the average Waterford disability applicant will wait more than two years before seeing their first disability payment from the Social Security Administration.
While the initial application process for Social Security Disability benefits only takes three to four 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 Waterford Social Security Disability lawyer in order to increase their chances of receiving an approval at the initial stage of the application process.
Hiring a Waterford Disability Attorney
When you hire a Waterford Social Security attorney, your lawyer will go over your disability claim with you and will help you gather the medical evidence that you will need in order to prove 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 adjudicator who will be reviewing your file. These measures will increase your chances of being awarded benefits during the initial stage of the application process.
If your initial claim for disability benefits is denied, a Waterford Social Security lawyer will work with you to appeal the SSA’s decision to deny your disability benefits. For most Waterford disability applicants, the appeal process consists of 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 mainly be focusing on the hearing stage of your disability appeal. For Waterford residents, the new ODAR office located in Flint is the office in charge of scheduling these hearings.
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 Waterford 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 Waterford 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 Waterford Social Security Disability attorney.
