Each and every year millions of people file for disability benefits from the Social Security Administration. Statistics have shown that nearly 70 percent of these disability applicants are denied during the initial stage of the application process. These denials result in the need for a disability appeal – a process that can take some applicants more than two years to finalize.
Fortunately, the services of a qualified Bolingbrook Social Security Disability attorney can increase the chances of a favorable outcome when filing an initial application for Social Security Disability benefits. If you are thinking about applying for Social Security Disability benefits in the Bolingbrook area or you need to appeal a denial of your Social Security Disability claim, you need to consider the services of a qualified Bolingbrook Social Security Disability lawyer.
Money Magazine has rated Bolingbrook, IL among the top 100 places to live in the United States. The city benefits from diverse economy with the distribution and retail sectors playing a leading role in the city’s economic well-being. While there are job opportunities in the city itself, many of Bolingbrook’s residents commute to the nearby city of Chicago for work.
In the city itself, Quantum Foods, IKEA and Macy’s are a few of the larger employers. The median household income in the city of Bolingbrook is approximately $68,000 while the cost of living index is only 2.5 percent higher than the national average.
Applying for Bolingbrook Social Security Disability Benefits
If an individual wishes to qualify for Social Security Disability benefits in the Bolingbrook area, that individual must suffer from a disability that prevents him or her from performing any type of work activity for a period of at least one year. It is up to the Social Security Disability applicant to prove that his or her disability actually prevents any type of work activity. This proof is furnished in the form of documented medical evidence and, in some cases, an exam performed by a third-party medical professional.
Many Social Security Disability applicants wait until their application for benefits has been denied before they think about hiring a Bolingbrook Social Security attorney. Unfortunately, this decreases the applicant’s chances of being awarded benefits during the initial stage of the application process. A denied disability claim will result in a disability applicant needing to pursue the disability appeal process.
To make matters worse, some statistics have shown that the initial award ratio in Illinois is lower than that of other states, making the services of a Bolingbrook Social Security lawyer even more vital. Hiring a Bolingbrook disability lawyer to represent you in your disability claim will help you to ensure that your application is filled out properly and that it is presented to the Social Security Administration in the best light possible. This can increase your chances of approval during the initial stage of the disability application process, thereby eliminating the need for a disability appeal.
Hiring a Bolingbrook Disability Attorney
If, for some reason, your initial claim for Social Security Disability benefits is denied by the Social Security Administration, the services of a Bolingbrook disability lawyer can increase your chances of successfully appealing the SSA's decision to deny the disability benefits that you may be entitled to.
If your initial disability claim is denied by the Social Security Administration, you will likely need to attend a disability hearing. Although there is a stage of appeals prior to a disability hearing (referred to as a Request for Reconsideration), fewer than 15 percent of these requests are awarded by the Social Security Administration. You and your attorney will be focusing on the hearing stage of the appeal process – the stage in which nearly two-thirds of disability appeals are won.
Unfortunately, it will take quite some time for a disability hearing to be scheduled for a Bolingbrook disability applicant. The office that is in charge of scheduling disability hearings for Bolingbrook Social Security Disability applicants is located in Peoria. It takes this office an average of 688 days to schedule a disability hearing, and this time period is not counting the time that it takes an applicant to complete the initial application process and the request for reconsideration.
Once the hearing is conducted, it then takes another 60 to 90 days for an applicant to discover whether or not the judge overseeing the hearing decided in the applicant’s favor.
While the outlook may seem grim, the truth is that your chances of a successful Social Security Disability hearing are greatly increased if you retain the services of a Bolingbrook Social Security Disability attorney. Your Bolingbrook Social Security Disability lawyer can help prepare you for your Social Security Disability hearing and will help you understand what you should do to increase your chances of a successful appeal and what you should expect during the hearing process.
