Each time a Tustin worker receives a paycheck from his or her employer, a portion of that check is given to the Social Security Administration. Because these workers pay these taxes, they expect that Social Security Disability benefits will be there for them if the need should ever arise. Unfortunately, actually getting an approval for disability benefits is often much harder than one would expect. While the initial application process only takes three to six months to complete, the average Tustin disability applicant is denied during this stage of the claim process, resulting in the need for a lengthy disability appeal. If you want to increase your chances of being approved for the Social Security Disability payments that you may be entitled to, you should consider retaining the services of a qualified Tustin Social Security Disability Attorney.
Tustin benefits from a diverse economy with the education, retail, manufacturing, medical and health sectors all playing a role in the city’s economic well-being. Some of Tustin’s top employers include ABM Industries, Tustin Unified School District, Big Lots, Toshiba America Medical Systems, Costco, Tustin Hospital Medical Center and The Home Depot. The median household income in Tustin is more than $76,000, which is well above the national average. The cost of living, however, is also higher with Tustin coming in at 23 percent above the U.S. average.
Tustin is home to nearly 75,000 California residents. In the State of California, approximately 2.9 percent of the population receives disability benefits from the Social Security Administration. The average disability payment received by a California disability beneficiary is $1,083.80 per month. While this monthly benefit can significantly offset some of the financial stress that is caused by a disabling condition, most Tustin Social Security Disability applicants must wait two years or more before seeing a single payment from the SSA.
Why does it take so long for most Tustin disability applicants to begin receiving Social Security Disability benefits from the Social Security Administration? The extensive waiting periods are due to the fact that the majority of disability claims are denied during the initial stage of the application process. These denied applicants must then pursue a lengthy and drawn out disability appeal in order to obtain the disability benefits they need. This appeal normally consists of a Request for Reconsideration and a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge. The problem for Tustin disability applicants is that it takes more than a year to be scheduled for a disability hearing.
The office that is in charge of scheduling the hearings for Tustin disability applicants is known as the Office of Disability Adjudication and Review (ODAR). The ODAR office that handles disability hearings for Tustin residents is located in the City of Downey. Due to the backlog of Social Security Disability appeals, it takes the Downey ODAR office an average of 426 days to schedule a disability hearing for a Tustin disability applicant. Once the hearing has been conducted, it takes another two or three months before the applicant is notified regarding the outcome of the hearing.
When you consider the fact that the initial disability claim process takes three to six months to complete and the Request for Reconsideration takes another three to six months to process, it means that many Tustin disability applicants are already six months to one year into the disability claim process before they are even able to request a disability hearing before an Administrative Law Judge. Waiting another 426 days for a disability hearing and another two to three months for a hearing outcome can cause significant financial stress. Because of this, many Tustin Social Security Disability applicants wonder if there is any way to avoid the process of a disability appeal when trying to obtain Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income.
Fortunately, in many cases, the services of a qualified Tustin Social Security attorney can help increase your chances of being awarded benefits during the initial stage of the disability application process. This means that you can begin receiving benefits in a matter of months rather than waiting two years or more before seeing your first disability payment.
When you hire a Tustin Social Security lawyer to help you in your disability claim, he or she will go over your case with you, will help you fill out the application paperwork properly and will ensure that you have all of the medical evidence that you need in order to prove your case to the Social Security Administration. If, for some reason, your disability claim is still denied, your Tustin disability attorney can represent you through each stage of your disability appeal.
Click here if you would like to request a free evaluation of your Social Security Disability case and to learn more about hiring a Tustin disability attorney to represent you in your Social Security Disability claim.
For more on disability benefits in California, see How To Qualify For Disability In California.
