Social Security Disability is not a well known or easily understood process.
Not many people understand it because the government does not advertise that the benefits are available and some of the Social Security employees are not extremely helpful.
You can walk into a local Social Security office and apply for benefits or call and schedule a telephone appointment.
However, Social Security prefers you to file your disability application online.
You do this through the Social Security website.
The website is not easy to use and it is difficult to understand why certain questions are being asked and how the answers may fit in to deciding whether you found disabled or not.
The process is also very long.
In Central Illinois it is taking up to 6 months for Social Security to review your initial application.
If you are denied at the initial stage you must appeal if you want to move on. The second stage may also take up to 6 months.
If you are denied at the second stage, then you must appeal again to have a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge.
It is taking approximately 12 months to get the hearing before a Judge in Illinois.
It is a frustrating and mysterious process to go through without someone to help you.
An experienced Social Security Attorney can help you from start to finish, including filing the application, helping you answer the written questions Social Security sends to you, and helping you prepare to answer the Judge’s questions.
Need help? Feel free to contact Illinois Social Security Disability lawyer Dirk May with Williams and Swee at 309-827-4371.