Many Social Security Disability attorneys and advocates are available to assist Evanston (Cook County) residents who can no longer work due to a disability or illness. By retaining the help of a professional, you may be able to avoid long processing times and increase your chances of being approved for disability benefits.
There are currently 4,343 pending cases in the Evanston hearing office and the wait time has reached a total of 345 days. Although waiting nearly a year for a decision may seem daunting, many Cook County residents find that disability payments are well worth the long wait. In December 2011, Cook County was home to 109,220 individuals receiving SSDI and 159,231 individuals receiving SSI.
If you are interested in learning more about the two different Social Security Disability programs click here.
Evanston area residents can apply for Social Security Disability benefits online or in person at their local SSA office. It is important to note that if you decide to fill out an application in person, you must schedule an appointment with your local office ahead of time. Following are the local offices near you:
501 Belle Street
Room 103 Federal Bldg
Alton, IL 62002
Telephone: 1-618-463-6568
1670 Lebanon Ave
Lake Christine Center
Belleville, IL 62221
Telephone: 1-618-235-0455
Consulting with a Evanston Social Security Disability Attorney
Applicants who may be feeling overwhelmed by the Social Security Disability system should consider contacting a lawyer to assist them with their claim. A lawyer will know the ins and outs of the application process and can apply this knowledge to your case. For more information about the benefits of speaking with a lawyer, click here.
An Evanston Social Security attorney will also handle disability claims for residents of nearby cities such as South Evanston, Oakton, Howard District, Birchwood, Rogers Park, Rockford, Wilmette, West Ridge, Gross Point, and Granville Gardens. They will also represent other Cook county residents as well as those in neighboring Will and DuPage counties.
To learn more about Evanston disability attorneys and advocates, contact your local bar association:
Cook County Bar Association
39 S. LaSalle Street
Suite 1117
Chicago, Illinois 60603-1722
Evanston Disability Hearings
If your initial claim or reconsideration review have been denied, you must schedule an appeal hearing to be held at the Evanston Office of Disability Adjudication and Review (ODAR).
Below you will find a list of approval rates for the administrative law judges (ALJs) who hear disability cases in the Evanston hearing office:
| ALJ | Approval Rate |
| Asbille, Robert C. | 60.97% |
| Bassett, Lovert F. | 58.79% |
| Bretthauer, Cynthia M. | 43.88% |
| Dadabo, Daniel | 54.89% |
| Halperin, Linda S. | 64.89% |
| Inouye, Jessica | 33.91% |
| Johnson, Lana | 44.21% |
| Kendall, Patricia | 49.37% |
| Lewin, Lee | 43.30% |
| Miller, Barry A. | 56.54% |
| Plunkett, Kevin | 36.36% |
| Vodak, Kevin | 43.97% |
| Wascher, James D. | 43.01% |
*Data from http://www.ssa.gov/appeals/DataSets/03_ALJ_Disposition_Data.html
Evanston Social Security Disability attorneys and Social Security disability advocates are often familiar with the administrative law judges who review cases in the Evanston hearing office and can use that insight to prepare your case more effectively.
If you are facing extreme financial or medical hardship and need your hearing to be scheduled sooner than the date you have been given, you should consider contacting your local congressman to request a congressional inquiry. He or she has the power to intervene with the ODAR on your behalf to expedite your hearing. The congressman's contact information for the Evanston area is:
820 Davis Street, Suite 105
Evanston, IL 60201
Phone: (847) 328-3409
Fax: (847) 328-3425
Fill out the form below to receive a free evaluation with an Evanston Social Security attorney:
