When a California resident suddenly faces a long-term or permanent disability and is no longer able to work, they become all too familiar with just how complicated it can be to obtain Social Security Disability benefits. In fact, only about 30 percent of the applicants who file disability claims with the SSA are approved during the initial stage of the disability application process. The remaining 70 percent of applicants must go on to file a disability appeal.
If you live in the Vacaville area and you want to increase your chances of being awarded the disability benefits to which you may be entitled or want to increase your chances of overturning the SSA's decision to deny your disability claim, you may want to consider the services of a qualified Vacaville Social Security Disability lawyer.
About Vacaville, California
The history of Vacaville's economy was founded in agriculture. The area's rich soil was home to many flourishing farms and the city was once well-known for its onions. The economic tides eventually turned, however, and while agriculture still plays an important role in Vacaville, the biotech and pharmaceutical industries are playing an equally important part in the area's economic well-being.
Some of the city's largest employers include Genentech, Kaiser Permanente, Novartis International AG and ALZA Corporation. The city is also home to two state prisons, which provide a total of nearly 3,000 jobs to Vacaville-area residents. While the median household income in Vacaville is higher than the national average at $57,667, the cost of living is also higher coming in at 17 percent above the national average.
Vacaville is home to approximately 93,000 California residents. In the State of California, about 2.9 percent of the population receives Social Security Disability benefits. The average monthly disability payment for a California resident is $1,083.80 per month. While this amount can help with an individual's basic needs, the fact that it takes most Vacaville residents nearly two years or more before seeing their first disability payment is rather concerning.
Social Security Disability Benefits in Vacaville, California.
Why does it take a Vacaville Social Security Disability applicant so long to receive disability payments from the Social Security Administration? This is largely due to the fact that the majority of disability claims are denied by the SSA. These applicants must then file an appeal in order to overturn the SSA's decision.
This process has resulted in a significant backlog of claims, and as each new applicant is denied and a new appeal is filed, that backlog becomes larger. This results in a wait of months or even years before being scheduled for a disability hearing before an administrative law judge, which is the most important stage of the disability appeal process.
The office that is in charge of scheduling the disability hearings for Vacaville residents is located in Stockton, California. It takes this office an average of 327 days to schedule a disability hearing before an administrative law judge. Once the hearing has been conducted, the applicant will have to wait another 60 to 90 days to find out whether or not the hearing was decided in their favor.
Hiring a Vacaville Social Security Attorney
If you would like to avoid the headaches that can be caused by a Social Security Disability appeal, you need to consider the services of a qualified Vacaville Social Security attorney. These professionals help you prepare your Social Security Disability claim, reviewing your condition with you and ensuring that you are providing the SSA with sufficient medical evidence to support your claim.
This will help you present your application in the best light possible, which will thereby increase your chances of a favorable decision during the initial stage of the disability claim process.
If your initial application is denied by the Social Security Administration, a Vacaville Social Security lawyer can represent you through each stage of the disability appeal process. The first stage of appeals is referred to as a Request for Reconsideration. This stage is usually just a formality since nearly 90 percent of these requests are denied by the SSA. You must, however, file this request if you wish to reach the second stage of the appeal process, which is a disability hearing before an administrative law judge.
The good news is that nearly two-thirds of disability hearings are decided in the favor of the disability applicant. However, those odds will vary depending on your hearing strategy and the judge who is overseeing your case. Some judges have higher award ratios than others, but you can ensure that you have the best possible chance of success by having legal representation at the hearing with you.
Statistics show that disability applicants who choose to represent themselves at a disability hearing are much less likely to be awarded benefits than those who go in with proper legal representation.
If you would like to request a free evaluation of your Social Security Disability claim, or just to learn more about hiring a Vacaville disability lawyer to represent you in your Social Security Disability case, click here today.
For more on disability benefits in California, see How To Qualify For Disability In California.
