Source: Wait times for Social Security benefit appeals leave people in limbo
Click above to read.
Downright depressing.
It takes a very long time to get a hearing if you are denied benefits at the first two levels. It takes another 16 to 18 months to get a hearing, and over one year to hear from the Appeals Council if you lose at the hearing. I do not understand how people do it.
Using a lawyer can be frightening.
Most people will possibly use a lawyer once or twice in their lifetime.
There are many misconceptions about lawyers.
Such as they are too expensive for the typical person.
They are mean.
You can do it on your own.
In work injury, personal injury and Social Security Disability cases a lawyer only gets paid if you win.
There are no hourly fees and no upfront fees.
The lawyer gets paid a percentage of the award at the end of the case.
Your lawyer works in partnership with you to present your best case and win as much money as is allowed pursuant to the law.
The lawyer wants to win for you so there is no reason to be afraid.
The other side, the insurance company, has a number of lawyers helping it and giving it advice to protect its interests. So should you.
A lawyer has a large amount of experience in dealing with insurance companies, judges and other lawyers.
The lawyer knows what to expect and what you need to prove to win your case.
Make sure that you get an experienced lawyer on your side.
Feel free to contact Illinois injury lawyer and Social Security Disability lawyer Dirk May at 309-827-4371.
Source: I lost everything waiting for disability assistance. And I’m not the only one. – The Washington Post
Click above to read.
You better believe it. You have to wait years to get your day in court and then four or five months to get the written decision. Not enough workers to get the cases before the judge in a timely manner.
Sometimes you wonder what people are thinking.
Social Security Disability is not a simple process.
There are numerous laws, rules and procedures that are complex and baffling to even those who work with Social Security on a daily basis.
Why would you decide to represent yourself?
You are risking benefits that may be paid to you for the rest of your lifetime.
This could easily top a total of $300,000 depending on your life expectancy.
Every so often I will see clients who come into my office after being denied at a hearing without a lawyer representing them.
There are many mistakes and traps that these people fall into.
Even though the Judges are not inherently biased against unrepresented people, I think there are some subtle problems.
No one is watching the Judge to protect against mistakes, or failure to follow the rules, or to ask important questions of you or the vocational consultant.
You need to know what type of questions the Judge will ask and why.
You need to understand what you must prove to win your case.
You need to know what medical records to produce.
You need to understand why the vocational consultant is testifying and what you need to do to turn the testimony to your advantage.
The bottom line is that a lawyer only gets paid if they win your case for you.
The most the lawyer can ever get paid is $6,000.
This is a small amount to pay for lifetime benefits and Medicare benefits.
Questions about your disability case? Feel free to contact Illinois Social Security Disability Attorney Dirk May at 309-827-4371.
More than 1 million Americans await a hearing to see whether they qualify for disability benefits from Social Security, with the average wait nearly two years — longer than some of them will …
Source: Social Security disability backlog tops 1 million; thousands die on waitlist – The Denver Post
Click above to read.
Horrible situation. It is overwhelming to have to wait for over 2 years to get a decision in your disability case. If you cannot work, then what are you supposed to do?