Noteboom The Law Firm

Fighting an uphill battle for Social Security Disability benefits...

Are the good intentions of the Social Security program still at the agency's heart? The honest people waiting in line for disability benefits may answer with a stern no. With wait times on the rise (2 3/4 years at worst and 2 1/2 years at best) and denials a common occurrence (2 out of 5 claims are denied at the hearing level), disabled individuals quickly learn that the odds are firmly stacked against them.

But what exactly is causing this unacceptable delay and what is the agency doing to remedy the situation? The process is slow for a reason, said Bill Choisser, a doctor who has been doing medical evaluations for the disability program and claimant attorneys for 20 years. "The system is designed to be very careful before persons are considered disabled because, of course, they don't want people to be collecting who don't meet the criteria," Choisser said.  And, while we can appreciate the Social Security's selective criteria, the Law Offices of LaVan & Neidenberg find that because humans are making the determination of an individual's eligibility, the system is inconsistent at best. 

Calling it a "moral imperative" and the agency's "highest priority" in federal documents, Social Security has launched an ambitious campaign to whittle the backlog to 466,000 from 760,000 by 2013 and reduce the typical wait time to get a hearing in half, to 270 days.  The overhaul includes hiring nearly 200 new administrative law judges nationwide, using a computer program to quickly decide clear-cut cases, increasing the use of video hearings, and moving from paper to electronic records.

But will these changes be on time for the thousands of claimants suffering from an illness and the demands of their financial responsibilities? 

The Law Offices of LaVan & Neidenberg has served thousands of claimants over the years, and we recognize and understand the stress and frustration that you may feel trying to battle the system alone.  Don’t spend another day worrying about how you will pay your medical bills and support your family. Don’t continue to think that you are not entitled to disability benefits because your application has been denied. Call us today for FREE evaluation of your case - 1-888-234-5758.