Wyoming Social Security Attorney
Applying for Wyoming Social Security Disability Benefits
This year alone the Social Security Administration will receive millions of applications for Social Security Disability benefits. Unfortunately, nearly all of the applicants who apply for these benefits will be denied during the initial stage of the application process, regardless of the fact that these applicants pay taxes into the Social Security system and should be entitled to benefits in exchange for these tax payments. The truth is, more than half of all disability applicants must fight for the Social Security Disability benefits they are entitled to. When a disabled worker in Wyoming, Michigan submits a claim for Social Security Disability benefits, they need to work with a Wyoming Social Security Disability attorney if they hope to increase their chances of being among the few who are approved during the initial stage of the disability claim process.
The City of Wyoming has a diversified economy. Manufacturing makes up the majority of businesses that are located in the area, but the retail, education, health, social services, transportation, warehousing and utility sectors also contribute to the city’s economic health. Some of Wyoming, Michigan’s top employers include General Motors, Gordon Food Services, the United Parcel Service, Delphi Corporation and Rivertown Crossings Mall. The median household income in Wyoming, Michigan is approximately $41,000 while the cost of living index is 6 percent lower than the national average.
There are more than 72,000 Michigan residents who call Wyoming 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 Wyoming, Michigan residents well over two years before seeing their first disability payment from the SSA.
Wyoming, Michigan residents who are applying for Social Security Disability benefits will normally deal with the Oak Park, Michigan ODAR office. Unfortunately it takes this ODAR office an overwhelming 727 days to process a request for a disability hearing. This is one of the longest wait times in the nation and is largely due to the backlog of disability appeals currently in the Social Security system and the large number of residents that this ODAR office serves. This means that the average Wyoming, Michigan disability applicant will wait approximately two years just to be scheduled for a hearing in front of an administrative law judge.
While the initial application process for Social Security Disability benefits only takes three to six months to complete, most applications are denied by the SSA 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 Wyoming Social Security Disability lawyer if they hope to increase their chances of receiving an approval at the initial stage of the application process.
Hiring a Wyoming Disability Attorney
When you hire a Wyoming 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 SSA. 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 Wyoming Social Security lawyer will work with you to appeal the SSA’s decision to deny your benefits. For most Wyoming 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 SSA. 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 Wyoming 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 Wyoming 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 Wyoming Social Security Disability attorney.
