With a population of 150,000, Salinas is the largest city in Monterey County, California. It’s located in slightly south of the center of the state, and about eight miles inland from the Pacific Ocean. Salinas is a largely suburban community, and the economy in the area is based largely in agriculture.
About Salinas, California
Salinas is sometimes called America’s Salad Bowl, owing to the fact that about 80% of the country’s lettuce is grown here. Other significant crops include wine grapes, flowers, citrus, and row crops of several different varieties. The wine industry is becoming increasingly important in the region, with many of the vineyards receiving favorable reviews.
Most of Salinas’ major employers are large agricultural firms and commercial farms. Other significant employers include the school system and local hospital.
Applying for Salinas Social Security Disability Benefits
Officially, Salinas is divided into about 45% white collar workers and 55% blue collar workers, but it is widely believed that these numbers are highly inaccurate due to the fact that much of the area’s work force consists of seasonal migrant workers, many of whom are undocumented. Even if that discrepancy is accounted for, however, Salinas has a higher percentage of white collar workers than most areas of the country.
Nearly 27% of the population of Salinas report having a disability, a number which is significantly above the national average. However, two thirds of those with disabilities are gainfully employed, which is also much higher than the national average. This is undoubtedly due in large part to the high percentage of white collar jobs in the Salinas area.
While it’s wonderful that so many job opportunities exist for disabled people in Salinas, there is still a significant portion of the population who are completely disabled and unable to perform any kind of meaningful work. Fortunately, Salinas Social Security Disability Resources exist to help if you find yourself in that unfortunate situation.
The first thing anyone should do if they suspect that they might have a long term disability is to inform the Social Security Administration that they intend to file for disability benefits. You are under no obligation to file when you do this, but if you do later apply for Social Security Disability benefits, you will be entitled to more back pay than if you had not informed the SSA of your intent.
Hiring a Salinas Disability Attorney
It’s also a good idea to consult a Salinas Social Security Disability lawyer regarding your potential claim. A Salinas Social Security Attorney can help you determine whether you have a solid claim for disability benefits and can advise you concerning the best way to go about presenting your case.
The majority of Social Security Disability claims are denied. Do not be discouraged if your claim is denied, as there is a formal process in place through which to appeal the denial. Most claims are ultimately approved during the appeals process, and it is not unusual to be denied Social Security during the initial stage of application. Contact a Salinas disability attorney to help you with your appeal. Sometimes a vocational expert is called in to determine if your disability actually prevents you from performing gainful work activity. While some people are able to successfully navigate the appeals process without representation, statistics are clear: your chances of having a successful claim or appeal improve tremendously when you are represented by a professional Social Security Disability attorney.
The Social Security Disability system can be frustrating. Having a qualified Salinas Social Security Disability attorney to represent you takes much of the hassle of the process off of your shoulders, giving you the peace of mind of knowing that a professional is handling your claim. Best of all, your Salinas Social Security Disability lawyer won’t charge you anything until you are approved, and even then the SSA mandates that lawyer fees will equal a percentage of the disability back pay which is owed to you, so you will never need to give up any of your ongoing disability payments.
A Salinas Social Security Disability lawyer will also handle disability claims in the following cities located in Monterey County, San Luis Obispo County, Kings County, Fresno County, San Benito County, Santa Clara County, and Santa Cruz County: Boronda, Confederate Corners, Cooper, Blanco, East Harrison, Marina, Neponset, Bolsa Hills, Natividad, Castrodale, Prunedale, Chualar, Spreckels, Ridgemark, San Juan Bautista, Watsonville, Las Loma, and Elkhorn.
For more on disability benefits in California, see How To Qualify For Disability In California.
