Each year the Social Security Administration receives millions of claims from disabled American workers. It is estimated that this year alone the Social Security Administration is expected to receive a total of more than three million Social Security Disability claims. The individuals who file these claims are usually under severe financial stress.
They are unable to produce an income due to the limitations that their disability places on them and, to make matters worse, they are usually faced with disability-related medical expenses that they have no way of paying. As the bills begin to pile up, these individuals hope and pray that the Social Security Disability benefits they have applied for will come through for them.
Unfortunately, in approximately 70 percent of cases, these individuals will be denied disability benefits during the initial stage of the application process, resulting in the need for a disability appeal. In cases such as these, the services of a qualified Victorville Social Security Disability attorney may be crucial to the outcome of that appeal.
About Victorville, California
The City of Victorville, California benefits from a diverse economy. The area's jobs are created by the logistics, education, medical and retail sectors, among others. Companies such as Southern California Logistics Airport, Victor Valley College, Verizon and Wal-Mart provide most of the employment opportunities in the Victorville area. The median household income in Victorville is just over $50,000.
Victorville is home to just under 100,000 California residents, which is relatively small by California standards. In the State of California, approximately 2.9 percent of the residents receive Social Security Disability benefits. The average disability payment to a California disability recipient is $1,083.80. While this monthly payment can help offset the financial burdens that are experienced by many Social Security Disability applicants, it will take a Victorville-area resident approximately 393 days to complete the disability claim process.
Why does it take most Victorville disability applicants more than a year to receive Social Security Disability benefits before being approved for disability benefits when the initial application process should only take three to four months to complete? The reason for the extensive wait times is due to the high percentage of applications that are denied during the initial application process.
When an individual is denied benefits during the initial application stage, they must pursue the complex disability appeal process. Because there are so many disability appeals backlogged in the Social Security system, it takes these applicants more than a year to obtain their day in court before an administrative law judge.
If you live in the Victorville area and are suffering from a long-term or permanent disability, it can be a frustrating and stressful experience when applying for the Social Security Disability benefits you need. If you want to increase your chances of being awarded benefits during the initial stage of the application process, you should consider retaining the services of a qualified Victorville Social Security Disability lawyer.
Your lawyer will work with you to ensure that your application is completed and submitted properly and that you have enough medical evidence to support your disability claim. If for some reason your initial claim for disability benefits is denied, your Victorville Social Security attorney can help you through the lengthy and confusing disability appeal process.
If your initial application for Social Security Disability benefits is denied, your Victorville Social Security lawyer will begin the disability appeal process for you. The first stage of appeal is called a Request for Reconsideration. Unfortunately, the majority of these requests are also denied by the Social Security Administration so you should be prepared for the next stage of the appeal process, which is the Social Security Disability hearing.
You are technically allowed to represent yourself at a disability hearing before the administrative law judge, but it is not in your best interests to do so. Statistics show that applicants who obtain proper legal representation are much more likely to get disability benefits as a result of their hearing than applicants who choose to represent themselves.
Your Victorville disability attorney will be able to prepare you for your hearing and provide you with proper representation before the administrative law judge who will be hearing your case. Fortunately two-thirds of disability hearings are decided in favor of the disability applicant, and your odds are increased when you are represented by a qualified Victorville disability lawyer.
A Victorville Social Security Disability lawyer will also handle disability claims in the following cities located in San Bernardino County, Inyo County, Riverside County, Los Angeles County, Orange County, and Kern County: Hesperia, Apple Valley, Adelanto, Helendale, Barstow, San Bernardino, Rancho Cucamonga, Fontana, Pomona, Palmdale, Lancaster, Boron, Edwards, and Rosamond.
For more on disability benefits in California, see How To Qualify For Disability In California.
