The majority of Americans live from paycheck to paycheck, taking for granted that they will be able to continue working in order to make ends meet. Unfortunately, in some cases, a situation comes up and these hard-working taxpayers are unable to continue their work due to a long-term or permanent disability.
In such cases, the paychecks that these workers have come to rely upon stop coming and the bills begin to pile up. It is in circumstances such as these that Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income are supposed to help.
Unfortunately, actually obtaining SSD benefits is a task that is not easily accomplished. In fact, your chances of being denied benefits are greater than your chances of actually being approved when filing a disability claim with the Social Security Administration. If you want to tip the scales in your favor, you need the help of an attorney. If you live in the Fishers, Indiana area and are in need of disability benefits, you should consult with a Fisher’s Social Security Disability attorney to increase your chances of receiving the benefits you need.
The economy of Fishers is based primarily in the finance, educational, health and food service sectors. Some of the area’s top employers include Sallie Mae, Charles Schwab, Hamilton Southeastern Schools, U.S. Foodservice and Indiana University Health Saxony Hospital.
The median household income in Fishers is over $108,000, which is more than double (and nearly triple) the average median household income in the United States. However, even with the increased median household income, the cost of living index is approximately 10 percent below the national average.
Applying for Fishers Social Security Disability Benefits
Fishers is home to nearly 50,000 Indiana residents. In the State of Indiana, approximately 4.6 percent of the population receives disability benefits. The average monthly disability amount for these recipients is $1,064.90. While there is no doubt that this monthly disability payment can help offset some of the financial burdens that can be caused by a disability, these benefits do not come quickly enough for most Fishers disability applicants. In fact, it will take the average Fishers disability applicant well over two years to complete the SSD claim process.
Why does it take an average of more than two years to complete a disability claim in the Fishers area? Isn't the disability claim process only supposed to last three or four months? While it is true that the initial application process for Social Security Disability benefits does take only three to four months to complete, nearly 70 percent of initial claims are denied by the Social Security Administration. This results in the need for a disability appeal, which takes much longer.
The disability appeal process consists of various steps that an applicant must go through in an effort to overturn the SSA's decision to deny their disability benefits. In most cases, disability applicants will only have to go through two steps of the appeal process including the Request for Reconsideration and the disability hearing before an Administrative Law Judge.
While the Request for Reconsideration only takes approximately three to four months to complete, the majority of these requests are not granted by the Social Security Administration. This results in the need for a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge. Due to the backlog of disability cases in Indiana ODAR Offices, the ODAR office in charge of scheduling the disability hearings for Fishers residents takes approximately 545 days to schedule such a hearing.
Hiring a Fishers Disability Attorney
If you hope to avoid the disability appeal process and a wait of nearly two years for a disability hearing, you should consult with a Fishers disability lawyer prior to filing your disability claim. Your lawyer will review your claim with you and will help you gather the medical evidence needed to prove your disability to the Social Security Administration.
If, for some reason, your claim is still denied or if your claim was denied prior to you seeking the help of a Fishers Social Security attorney, there is still hope. A Fishers Social Security lawyer can represent you through each stage of the disability appeal process and can actually increase your chances of overturning the SSA's decision to deny your disability benefits. In fact, statistics show that disability applicants who have legal representation during their disability hearing are more likely to be awarded benefits than applicants who choose to represent themselves. This is why it is crucial to have a Fishers disability attorney representing you in your disability appeal.
