Hiring a lawyer is important for social security disability applicants. The application process is daunting and many individuals give up. However, the Social Security Disability Lawyer in Wilkes-Barre PA makes sure your rights are protected.
Requirements For Disability
The Social Security Administration (SSA) has strict criteria for approval. First, applicants must have a disability that is expected to last for 12 months. Further, the disability renders a person unable to support themselves. In addition, applicants should have paid social security taxes when they worked.
Low-income individuals and those who never worked may be eligible for Supplemental Security Income or SSI. This joint state-federal program also provides benefits for the elderly, blind and some children.
How The Process Works
Each state has a disability office and files end up there. A claims examiner, vocational expert and medical expert review all the files. The Social Security Disability Lawyer in Wilkes-Barre PA makes sure that a client’s file contains the relevant information. Specifically, SSA wants to see proof of the disability and the medical records should provide it.
What Happens If A Claim Is Denied?
Applicants who are denied have sixty days to ask for a request for reconsideration. This is the first level of appeal and is basically a second review of the claimant’s file. A second denial means the lawyer files for a hearing. Many people are finally approved after a hearing.
This is when it comes in handy to have a lawyer who handles disability hearings regularly. The lawyer prepares each client for what to expect. Moreover, the lawyer helps the client learn to express how their condition affects them. This is what judges want to hear.
In addition, the lawyer probably knows the judge and their track record. Each judge has a unique way of processing information and clients must be prepared.
Winning The Claim
Applicants who are approved may be entitled to back-pay. Indeed, applicants are entitled to receive benefits going forward from their disability onset date. Most applicants receive a lump-sum payment and the attorney fees are deducted from it. Attorneys are entitled to collect 25-percent of any past-due benefits up to $6,000. For more info, find a disability lawyer and visit the website. You can also visit them on Google My Business.
