If you recently applied for Social Security Disability benefits , and if your claim was denied, you may feel hopeless and unsure of where to turn next for help. Though it may be difficult to not feel forlorn right now, remember that millions of people find themselves in the same situation each year. Many of those same people, when they appeal the denial, find they are able to overturn the decision and qualify for the benefits they need and deserve.
How Many People Get Denied Benefits Each Year?
According to Disability Benefits Help , millions of people apply for Social Security Disability Benefits each year. Of the millions of applications the Social Security Administration receives each year, only 30% receive an “Approved” stamp. So, what becomes of the other 70% of applicants? Are they forced to figure out another means of obtaining financial help? Not necessarily.
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SPEAK TO AN ATTORNEY TODAYApproval Rating is Higher After a Hearing, but Why?
Denial rates drop to just 35% after a hearing, 20% of which are dismissed. Why is this?
For one, in the time it takes a person to receive a hearing, his or her condition has likely grown worse. By the time the hearing is held, a person’s condition may be so bad that it is apparent to the decision makers he or she qualifies as disabled.
Another reason denials are so often overturned at hearings is because applicants generally hire attorneys to assist with the appeal. More than two-thirds of applicants hire a lawyer to help with the appeals process. Those who had an attorney on their sides were three times more likely to be approved for benefits than those who attempted the hearing process on their own. This is because disability lawyers are trained to gather the right information from claimants’ doctors, come up with convincing theories of disability, and find errors the SSA made when doling out a denial.
A third reason applicants generally have more success at the hearing phase is because the court calls upon medical experts to attest to an applicant’s state of disability. The SSA, on the other hand, uses medical consults, who are generally much more conservative than MEs. An attorney can help you hire the right medical expert for your particular case.
Finally, judges are only human. When they meet with applicants in person, they can connect what is on the paper to a face and possibly an entire family. Seeing a person struggle is a lot different than reading about it, and a judge is far more likely to be sympathetic to a face rather than a form.
Hire a Social Security Disability Attorney
If you received an SSD denial, know that you are not out of options. Contact the Ponca City Social Security Disability lawyers at BDIW Law to discuss options for appeal and to begin building your case.
