A Bethlehem (Northampton County) social security attorney or advocate is an individual who helps disabled individuals get disability benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA). These attorneys will communicate with SSA on your behalf, help you determine which type of disability benefit (SSDI or SSI) you should apply for and fill out all necessary paperwork. As of December 2011, there were 8,605 individuals receiving SSDI benefits and 5,746 individuals receiving SSI benefits in Northampton County.
There are numerous SSA offices near Bethlehem. You can visit any of them if you have questions about your application.
555 Main Street
Bethlehem, PA 18018
134 S 4th Street
Easton, PA 18042
1700 Markley Street
First Floor
Norristown, PA 19401
Hiring a Bethlehem Disability Attorney
The process of hiring a Bethlehem disability attorney is pretty simple. Your attorney will evaluate your case for free and let you whether or not you have a good claim. At that point, you can choose whether or not you want to sign with the attorney. If you do sign with the attorney, you will have to fill out form SSA-1696 and send it in along with your application.
More info on the benefits of having an attorney.
A Bethlehem social security disability lawyer will also generally handle cases in the following cities and towns near Bethlehem: Fullerton, Allentown, Northampton, Easton, Emmaus, Lansdale, Pottstown and Norristown.
All questions regarding hiring an attorney in Bethlehem can be directed to:
Northampton County Bar Association
155 South Ninth Street
Easton, PA 18042
Bethlehem Disability Hearings
Most disability claims are denied at the 1st 2 stages of the application process. The 3rd stage is the disability hearing. All Bethlehem residents will have their hearings at the Elkins Park hearing office.
Currently (March 2013), there are 7,223 pending cases at the Elkins Park office and the wait time is 360 days. Between October 2012 and January 2013, the Elkins Park office had 1836 hearings scheduled. Approximately 78.6% of these hearings were resolved (approved, partially approved or denied).
Administrative Law Judges (ALJs) are in charge of making a decision on claims during the hearing. Approximately 26 hearings were held on average each day. The 12 judges in the Elkins Park office handled about 2.2 dispositions per day.
If you are unable to appear in person at your hearing, video conferencing is an option. Approximately 15% of the hearings at the Elkins Park office are video hearings.
The reason it takes the Elkins Park office almost a year to have a hearing scheduled is due to the volume of cases they receive. In very rare circumstances, it is possible to have your hearing scheduled faster. You should contact your congressperson to see if this is an option.
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