A town that approximately 77,350 people call home, Camden, New Jersey is the county seat of Camden County and sits just across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Many Camden residents are employed in the manufacturing, government, education and healthcare sectors, and although many travel to nearby cities for employment, Camden’s top employers include the City of Camden, Cooper University Hospital, and Campbell’s Soup, which has its national headquarters in Camden.
The median household income for Camden residents is just $18,007, but the cost-of-living is around 7% lower than the national average. Although Camden has suffered from the plight of urban decline in recent years, it’s beginning to make strides towards redevelopment with the revamping of the Campbell’s Soup headquarters, updated loft-style housing being built, and the election of a new mayor in 2011.
Applying for Camden Social Security Disability Benefits
If a Camden worker is unable to work due to illness or injury for a year or more, they may choose to utilize the Social Security disability benefits to which they’re entitled (having contributed via paycheck deductions for years.) Unfortunately, the fact is that the large majority (around 70%) of Social Security disability applicants are denied nationwide. According to the Social Security Administration (SSA,) around 3% of the New Jersey population is currently unable to work and receiving Social Security disability benefits.
They receive an average of $1,254 per month. Many of these disability recipients likely waited up to two years or more from the date of their initial application to when they actually received a payment. Additionally, there are many more Camden Social Security applicants who are currently navigating the SSA’s appeals process. Statistically, Social Security claimants who are represented by a disability lawyer have a greater chance of having their claim approved at each level of the process.
If you’re a Camden Social Security disability applicant and have received a denial, you can appeal the decision by completing a request for reconsideration by filling out form SSA-561; It will take anywhere from another 1-3 months for a second decision to be issued, and only a small number of claims are reversed upon reconsideration. This is in addition to the 3-4 months you likely spent waiting for your first decision to be made.
The hearing office in Newark, NJ schedules disability hearings for Camden Social Security applicants, and the average wait for a hearing is around the year (from the date the hearing request is filed.) By the time their request for a hearing is filed, most Camden disability applicants have already waited close to a year for their first two decisions to be issued.
Hiring a Camden Disability Attorney
If you are disabled and can’t work, it’s extremely stressful to have to wait years before receiving any Social Security disability benefits. You can decrease the chances of having to endure this by hiring a Camden Social Security lawyer. A Camden Social Security disability attorney can ensure that your case is being properly evaluated by the SSA, and can take other steps to improve the chances that your benefits will be awarded upon your initial application, including obtaining statements from your doctors, communicating with the SSA, and obtaining and submitted updated medical records as you continue treatment.
If you do end up having a disability hearing, retaining the services of a Camden disability attorney can improve the chances that it will result in a favorable decision for you. A skilled Camden disability lawyer has intricate knowledge of the claims process and the SSA’s specific definition of disabled. They can help prepare you for your hearing, and having your Camden disability lawyer by your side when the time comes can be reassuring during what can be a stressful event.
It doesn’t cost anything upfront to hire a Camden Social Security disability attorney. New Jersey Social Security disability attorneys are paid on a contingency basis, which means that they only receive a fee if you are awarded benefits. If that happens, they will be paid 25% of your past-due benefits (up to $6,000.)
A Camden Social Security attorney will also handle disability claims in nearby Burlington, Atlantic, and Gloucester counties, and towns such as Whitman Park, Morgan Village, Parkside, Fairview, and Pennsylvania cities such as Pemsport, Society Hill, Wharton, and Bella Vista.
