Decatur benefits from a diverse economy. The education, manufacturing, health care and government sectors all play a vital role in the city’s economic well-being. Some of Decatur’s top employers include Caterpillar, Inc., Archer Daniels Midland, Decatur Memorial Hospital, St. Mary’s Hospital and Macon County.
The median household income in Decatur comes in at just over $37,000, which is below the U.S. national average. The cost of living index also comes in at lower than the national average, with a cost of living index of approximately 20 percent lower than the average U.S. cost of living index.
Applying for Decatur Social Security Disability Benefits
Millions of people file for Social Security Disability benefits each and every year. According to statistics, approximately 70 percent of the people who file disability claims with the Social Security Administration are denied benefits during the initial stage of the application process.
These same statistics also tell us that retaining proper legal representation can significantly increase your chances of a successful SSD application or, if necessary, a successful appeal of the SSA's decision to deny your benefits. If you are thinking about applying for Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income in the Decatur area, or you want to appeal a denial of your disability benefits, you should consult with a Decatur Social Security Disability attorney as soon as possible.
Each and every year the Social Security Administration receives millions of claims for disability benefits. Unfortunately, nearly 70 percent of these claims are denied by the SSA during the initial stage of the application process. Some statistics have indicated that approval rates are actually lower in the State of Illinois than they are in most parts of the nation.
One year it was even estimated that nearly 85 percent of the Social Security Disability claims that were filed in Illinois were denied during the initial application stage. In light of these facts, disabled individuals in Decatur should consider the services of a Decatur Social Security Disability lawyer if they hope to improve their chances for a successful Social Security Disability claim.
If an individual wants to qualify for Social Security Disability benefits through the Social Security Administration, that person must suffer from a disability that prevents them from performing any type of work activity for a period of at least twelve months. However, it is on the shoulders of the disability applicant to prove that the applicant is actually disabled according to SSA standards. This endeavor can be complicated. Fortunately, the services of a Decatur Social Security attorney can help.
Hiring a Decatur Disability Attorney
While the majority of disability applicants will wait until an initial claim for disability benefits has been denied before they retain the services of a disability lawyer, this isn't always the best road to take. A denied disability claim will put in you the SSA’s land of appeals – an area that will take at least one year to get out of.
Hiring a Decatur Social Security Disability lawyer to help you with your initial disability claim can increase your chances of an approval of your initial disability claim, thereby helping you avoid the need for a long and drawn out disability appeal.
A Decatur disability attorney can help you file your application for Social Security Disability benefits, ensuring that you have everything you need in order to prove your disabling condition to the Social Security Administration. If, for some reason, your initial claim for benefits is denied, the services of a Decatur Social Security 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. The good news is that nearly two-thirds of disability appeals are won at the hearing stage of the disability appeal process.
The bad news is that it will take quite some time for a disability hearing to be scheduled for a Decatur disability applicant. The office in charge of scheduling disability hearings for Decatur Social Security Disability applicants is located in Peoria.
It takes this office an average of 688 days to schedule a disability hearing, not counting the time it takes to complete the initial application process and the Request for Reconsideration. It then takes another 60 to 90 days from the date that the hearing was completed for an applicant to discover whether or not the judge overseeing the hearing decided in the applicant’s favor.
Your chances of a successful SSD hearing are greatly increased if you retain the services of a Decatur Social Security attorney. Your Decatur 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.
