Yakima Social Security Attorney
Most hardworking Americans are familiar with the weekly Social Security taxes that are deducted from their paychecks. Unfortunately, this may lead them to incorrectly assume they will undoubtedly have access to Social Security disability benefits if they suffer from a disability and become unable to work.
Applying for Yakima Social Security Disability Benefits
What most disabled Washington workers don’t realize is that the large majority of Social Security applications are denied. These applicants are then forced to go through a lengthy appeal process in hopes of getting granted benefits, which often results in a wait of two years or more.
When the Social Security Administration (SSA) denies a disabled worker’s application for benefits, they can file a “Request for Reconsideration.” This results in a different SSA representative reviewing their claim to confirm that the denial was appropriate. It can take another 2-4 months for this decision to be made. It’s extremely hard for a disabled worker to support their family on little or no income while their application is pending. Hiring a Yakima Social Security attorney can improve the chances that your application will be approved and you won’t be forced to undergo the lengthy appeals process. A top Yakima disability lawyer can make sure that all relevant medical records and other evidence are being considered, and knows how to present this evidence in the best light possible.
The Yakima economy is largely agriculture-based, but also has a burgeoning wine industry. Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital is one of the area’s biggest employers, and the Yakima School District and Washington State Department of Social and Human Services also employ a large number of Yakima residents. The median household income is $37,351, and the cost of living is about 8% lower than the national average.
Approximately 84,074 people call Yakima home. About 4% of the Washington population is receiving Social Security disability benefits, with an average monthly payment amount of $1,149.
If a Yakima Social Security disability applicant’s “Request for Reconsideration” results in another denial, then the disabled worker will file a “Request for Hearing by Administrative Law Judge.” The Social Security office in Seattle, Washington, schedules administrative law judge hearings for disability applicants in the Yakima area. A disabled Yakima worker waits an average of 392 days for their hearing to be scheduled. This is from the date that they filed their “Request for Administrative Law Judge Hearing,” appeal, and is on top of the 5-8 months they waited while their claim went through the first two stages of the Social Security disability application process.
Hiring a Yakima Disability Attorney
If you’re applying for disability benefits in the Yakima area, it can be devastating to have to wait years before receiving a payment. Hiring an experienced Yakima Social Security disability attorney can decrease the chances of that happening. If you do end up having an administrative law judge hearing, a knowledgeable disability attorney can use your medical records to show the judge exactly how you meet the Social Security Administration’s strict definition of disabled. There are no guarantees when it comes to the results of your hearing, and your success hinges on many factors including your specific conditions and which judge is assigned to your claim, but hiring a Yakima Social Security disability lawyer can be an effective way to ensure that all relevant evidence is being considered, and can maximize the odds that the judge’s decision will be in your favor.
A Yakima disability attorney works on a contingent fee basis. This means that your Yakima Social Security lawyer is only paid if you are granted benefits. If your application is approved, they will receive a fee equal to 25% of your back benefit payments, up to a $6,000 maximum. So there’s no upfront cost to hire a Yakima Social Security attorney, and no reason for Yakima, Washington Social Security disability applicants not to take this important action that can be a great benefit to their claim.
A Yakima Social Security attorney will also handle disability claims in Selah, Union Gap, Moxee, Tieton, Cowiche, Wiley City, Tampico, Gleed, Wapato, and Toppenish, as well as Kickitat, Benton, Kittititas, and Grant counties.
Click here if you would like to request a free evaluation of your Social Security disability case and to learn more about applying for benefits in Yakima and hiring a Washington disability attorney.
