Social Security reports that in 2016 it took an average of 58 days for an Administrative Law Judge to issue a decision in a disability case.
In 2017 the average time has increased to 78 days.
Most likely due to not enough staff attorneys to write up the decisions.
Most everything will suffer due to inadequate budget for SSA.
It currently takes approximately 2.5 years to get a Social Security Disability hearing and an additional 78 days to find out whether or not you are disabled.
President Donald Trump’s budget proposal, recently submitted to Congress, included some changes to the Social Security Disability Insurance program that had been recommended a few years ago in the bipartisan
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Many of these approaches have been tried for years. Such as vocational assistance and reviewing people periodically for medical improvement.
I believe recent rule changes for Social Security Disability hearings make it more difficult for people who do not have a lawyer.
The rules provide that all evidence must be submitted 5 business days before the hearing or the Judge may exclude it.
There are some exceptions, however you must submit a letter before the 5 business days explaining why you do not have the records requested.
It really is a trap for the unwary and is especially burdensome for the unrepresented.
I do this type of work all the time and is difficult to keep up with the records and notify Social Security regarding status of the records.
People who are not represented through a lawyer have to make sure that they get all the records and submit them more than 5 business days before the hearing takes place.
Most people do not understand the rules, or how to get their records, or what is important to SSA.
You do not have to pay a lawyer upfront to represent you in a Social Security Disability case.
The attorney is only paid if you win the case; the fee is limited to 20 percent of the back benefits and capped.
There is no reason to go into these complicated cases against the government unrepresented.
If you are truly disabled, why lose a case only because you were not able to get important medical records.
Questions about the Social Security Disability process? Feel free to contact Illinois Social Security Disability Lawyer Dirk May at 309-827-4371.
Recent research finds that merely making it more difficult to apply for disability insurance pushes away the people who need help the most.
Source: Who loses disability insurance when it’s harder to apply? | Equitable Growth
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The trend is to make people apply online. This reduces costs for Social Security and saves time for SSA employees. The application, however is not easy for people to complete. Make sure that you seek assistance from an experienced Social Security Disability Attorney.
The U.S. government has been struggling to balance a surge in applicants for disability benefits with shrinking funds. An updated application process could make getting benefits even harder.
Source: Getting Disability Benefits Is Tough For People With Hidden Disabilities : Shots – Health News : NPR
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Central Illinois hearing office approves approximately 36 percent of those who seek a hearing. The older you are and the more common your disability such as back pain or arthritis, the better your chances of winning. However if you are truly disabled do not give up. Talk with an experienced Social Security Disability attorney.