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Social Security Disability - The long process that disability clients must face
by: Tim Moore
You've become injured, developed a crippling illness, or you've finally
succumbed to the advanced effects of a number of medical conditions. You
follow a friend or relative's advice and you contact the social security
administration for the purpose of filing a disability application. All you
have to do now is wait a few weeks and then your benefits should start,
right?
Unfortunately, the disability system in the U.S. of A doesn't quite work
that way. Quite the contrary, the system is heavily bureaucratic and
correspondingly slow, and is geared for neither fairness nor empathy with
regard to either your medical or financial considerations.
To allow yourself the chance to make the best decisions later on, you need
to understand from the very beginning that if you are disabled and are
applying for either social security disability or ssi disability benefits,
the process is very, very long. In fact, if you are not approved for
benefits when you first apply for ssd or ssi--this is called the initial
phase--then it is likely that you will have to go through the entire social
security disability appeals process.
This can literally take years to get through--and, typically in most states,
especially those with large hearing office backlogs, can take as much as
three years.
How long does each step take? The initial claim phase, or application phase,
can take anywhere from a month (not likely) to a year (yes, an application
can really take this long in some cases). The middle step, which is called
the reconsideration stage and is really just a repeat of the application
phase, can take just as long; meaning, in most instances, several months.
Most individuals are denied their disability benefits at the reconsideration
level, but, nonetheless, are required to go through this stage if they want
the opportunity for a hearing before a judge. After the reconsideration
stage comes the disability hearing stage. And this is where the wait really
begins.
After you've been denied at the reconsideration level, you request a
disability hearing before a federal judge. How long is the wait this time?
Well, depending on where you live, it might take you a year or longer to get
a hearing date.
But the waiting doesn't end there. After a hearing has been conducted, a
claimant will be required to wait for a decision notice. How long does this
take? Some judges will inform a claimant that a decision may be rendered in
six weeks. But, often, it takes several months. Even after you have the
hearing, you may only have about a one out of two chance (according to
national statistics--the win rates do vary by state) of being granted your
social security disability or ssi benefits.
So...if you are thinking of applying for ssa benefits, think about how long
the process might take and get prepared, if you are able. Applying for
disability will seldom ever be an easy process, but if you know in advance
how long it can really take, you can make better decisions (regarding your
finances, housing situation, etc) along the way. And, certainly, if your
particular case is one that eventually leads to a hearing before a judge,
get an attorney to maximize your chances of winning benefits.
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About The Author
Tim Moore http://www.disabilitysecrets.com/questions.html Social Security Disability Secrets (this is an faq page that is fairly useful).
I am a former Social Security Disability Claims Examiner who, for the last several years, has worked in disability claimant representation.
This article was posted on November 19, 2005
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