After becoming disabled or seriously ill, it can be impossible to earn a living. Fortunately, the Social Security Administration offers disability benefits to those who can no longer work because of debilitating health conditions.
Although the application process for disability benefits is often a necessary step toward financial stability, it can be quite complicated. If you are a resident of Columbus, Georgia, you have access to many Social Security Disability attorneys and advocates who can help you file your disability claim.
In Muscogee County alone, there were a total of 6,723 SSI recipients and 7,015 SSDI recipients in September, 2012. To learn more about the two types of federal disability benefits, visit the following page: Social Security Disability Programs.
Direct any additional questions you may have toward your local Social Security Administration field office:
7263 North Lake Drive
Columbus, GA 31909
Telephone: 1-706-494-6171
Hiring a Columbus Social Security Disability Attorney
Although it is not a requirement to have legal representation at any point during the application process, it is advised that you do. A Columbus attorney or advocate will have a thorough understanding of the application process and will be able to walk you through each step.
The advice of a legal professional is often the difference between denial and approval. To learn about the many benefits of hiring an attorney or advocate, visit the following page: Why do I need an Attorney?
A Columbus attorney is not strictly confined to handling Columbus disability claims. A Columbus Social Security Disability lawyer will also handle disability claims in the following cities located in Muscogee County, Chattahoochee County, Talbot County, and Harris County: Ladonia, Smiths Stations, Cataula, Upatol, Fortson, Ellerslie, Cusseta, and Waverly Hall.
For more information about the legal assistance available near you, contact one of the following Bar Associations:
Chattahoochee Bar Association
President: David C. Rayfield
P.O. Box 2128
Columbus, GA 31902-2128
Columbus Bar Association
P.O. Box 2133
Columbus, GA 31902
State Bar of Georgia
104 Marietta St. NW Suite 100
Atlanta GA, 30303
Columbus Disability Hearings
After submitting your initial application for disability benefits, there is a chance that it will be denied—at which point you will enter the appeals phase of the Social Security Disability application process. If this happens, it is highly advised that you retain the services of a qualified attorney.
As part of the appeals process, applicants are typically required to attend a hearing with an Administrative Law Judge—or ALJ. Disability appeal hearings are held in an Office of Disability Adjudication and Review (ODAR). Because there is no ODAR in Columbus, it is likely that Columbus hearings will take place in the Atlanta Downtown ODAR.
Below we have listed important facts and statistics regarding the Atlanta Downtown ODAR and its operations. While these numbers may seem unimportant to you now, they may become useful if you ever have to attend an appeal hearing in this office.
Please note that these statistics apply to the appeal hearings held between September 2012 and June 2013 in the Atlanta Downtown ODAR.
- In the specified time period, the Atlanta Downtown hearing office handled a total of 5,625 claims.
- 81.17% of all hearings in the given time period were resolved (ended in approval, partial approval, or denial)
- There are 17 ALJs working in the Atlanta Downtown hearing office.
- During the specified months, each judge handled an average of 1.9 dispositions each day.
- On a whole, the Atlanta Downtown office handled an average of 32.3 dispositions each day.
- 77.04% of all hearings held in the Atlanta Downtown office were conducted in person; the remaining hearings were held using video conferencing technologies.
- As of June, 2013 the Atlanta Downtown ODAR had 10,807 pending cases and a 456 day wait time.
Congressional Intervention
Based on the previous statistics, you may have noted the large backlog of hearings that have yet to be decided. This backlog tends to cause a significant wait for an appeal hearing. If you find that medical complications or financial distress make it impossible for you to wait for your scheduled hearing, you may consider looking into congressional intervention.
To request congressional intervention you will need to speak to a local congressperson about your circumstances. If he or she feels you cannot wait the standard processing times, they can intervene with the ODAR on your behalf. It is important to note that there is no guarantee that this will work. However, requesting congressional intervention will not harm your claim in any way.
18 Ninth Street Suite 201
Columbus, GA 31901
Phone: (706) 320-9477
Complete the following form to receive a free legal evaluation with a Columbus disability attorney or advocate.
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