Noteboom The Law Firm

Waiting for Social Security Disability

If you are considering applying for Social Security disability, do not expect to get a check next month, no matter where you live. While some cities have a particularly lengthy wait, the issue is nationwide. According to the Association of Administrative Law Judges, there are several issues with the system. The biggest one seems to be the waiting period, which averaged about two years in some cities in 2007, such as Buffalo, New York.

While not every area takes that long, most people wait just over a year to hear back about their case. To add insult to injury, about two thirds of people are denied benefits on the first try. The odd thing is that once they hire a lawyer and appeal before a judge, the majority of those people are approved. Many are baffled as to why they were ever denied to begin with.

Many judges also complain that the program does not leave much up to them. Some applicants who judges feel should not receive disability payments for very long are approved for payments for life, while applicants who they feel are entitled to life-long benefits get only a year. Thus, many say the system is quite inflexible, and the SSA encourages judges to rush through each case. Considering the absurdly long wait periods, it seems odd that the judges do not take their time.

If you have already applied and are wondering where your answer is, know that it is considered normal to wait months, maybe even years. However, despite the recent flood of applications, the good news is that the waiting period has been reduced over the last couple of years. According to The Buffalo News, in Buffalo alone, it went from nearly two years to almost a year and half. The nationwide average sits at nearly 500 days, so if you wait less than that, consider yourself lucky.

Fort Lauderdale, Florida disability lawyers, LaVan & Neidenberg, represent over 5000 disability claimants. Our disability attorneys have experience with cross examining agency-appointed medical and vocational experts and take time when speaking with you about your disability claim. Call us today at 1-888-234-5758 for a FREE legal consultation. There is NO OBLIGATION to hire our firm and there are NO FEES unless one of our trained disability lawyers wins your case