How Do You Get Disability in Arizona?
Those who live in Arizona who apply for social security disability or supplemental security income (SSI) benefits are not likely to be approved on an initial disability application. Recent statistics supplied by Congresswoman Gifford’s office state that only 36% of all initial disability claims filed in Arizona are approved.
However, in Arizona, as in all other states, those whose initial disability applications are denied have the right to appeal their decision by filing a request for reconsideration with the state Disability Determination Services (DDS).
Unfortunately, these reconsideration appeals are so notoriously unsuccessful that some disability applicants give up, believing that the appeals process is not worth the effort, but this is not so. It is absolutely worth it to file a reconsideration appeal in Arizona, because even if you, like most applicants, are denied on your first appeal, you will then have the option of moving on to the next level of appeal: a disability hearing before a federal administrative law judge (ALJ).
Congresswoman Gifford’s office noted that 19 out of 20 disability cases that were denied by the Arizona DDS were eventually approved by an ALJ at the hearing level!
In Arizona, as in every other state in the nation, your chances of winning disability benefits improve dramatically at the second appeal, particularly when the claimant has legal representation of some sort (some studies have shown that when a lawyer presents a disability case to an ALJ the chances of winning go up as much as 50%).
Keep in mind, though, that it can take a long time for your case to work its way through the system. In Arizona it takes about 21 months for a disability claim to go from the initial application stage to a hearing before an ALJ.
Residents of Arizona may help to speed up the process by contacting their local representatives in congress to ask for help with moving their claim forward, particularly if there is the perception that unfair treatment or unreasonable delays are causing unnecessary hardship to the applicant. A congressional representative can have his or her staffers conduct what is known as a congressional inquiry. Such inquiries have been known to speed cases along, particularly when the case is stuck at the hearing level, i.e. a hearing has been requested and is simply waiting to be scheduled (congressional inquiries are less likely to be helpful when a claim for disability is pending at the disability application or request for reconsideration level).
If your request for a social security disability hearing has dragged on for no apparent reason, and you are unable to get a satisfactory explanation from social security as to why your hearing is being delayed, you (or your disability attorney) may want to call to your congressman to help speed things along, and to ensure that the hearing office is aware of the already considerable financial and emotional burden you have suffered as a result of unnecessary delays in the system.
In cases of dire need, a hearing request may possibly be expedited. However, an expedite will not typically happen on its own. A request for an expedite will need to be made (usually sent in writing to the hearing office director) and, often, the expedite request will need to be accompanied by proof of extenuating circumstances (e.g. notices regarding eviction, foreclosure, or utility shutoff).
Return to:
Social Security Disability Secrets
Social Security Disability Benefit Questions
Additional Posts
Social security definition of disability - When is a person considered disabled?
Social security disability definition - to get social security disability do you have to be permanently disabled?
Social Security disability list of impairments
Return to:
Social Security Disability Secrets
Social Security Disability Benefit Questions
However, in Arizona, as in all other states, those whose initial disability applications are denied have the right to appeal their decision by filing a request for reconsideration with the state Disability Determination Services (DDS).
Unfortunately, these reconsideration appeals are so notoriously unsuccessful that some disability applicants give up, believing that the appeals process is not worth the effort, but this is not so. It is absolutely worth it to file a reconsideration appeal in Arizona, because even if you, like most applicants, are denied on your first appeal, you will then have the option of moving on to the next level of appeal: a disability hearing before a federal administrative law judge (ALJ).
Congresswoman Gifford’s office noted that 19 out of 20 disability cases that were denied by the Arizona DDS were eventually approved by an ALJ at the hearing level!
In Arizona, as in every other state in the nation, your chances of winning disability benefits improve dramatically at the second appeal, particularly when the claimant has legal representation of some sort (some studies have shown that when a lawyer presents a disability case to an ALJ the chances of winning go up as much as 50%).
Keep in mind, though, that it can take a long time for your case to work its way through the system. In Arizona it takes about 21 months for a disability claim to go from the initial application stage to a hearing before an ALJ.
Residents of Arizona may help to speed up the process by contacting their local representatives in congress to ask for help with moving their claim forward, particularly if there is the perception that unfair treatment or unreasonable delays are causing unnecessary hardship to the applicant. A congressional representative can have his or her staffers conduct what is known as a congressional inquiry. Such inquiries have been known to speed cases along, particularly when the case is stuck at the hearing level, i.e. a hearing has been requested and is simply waiting to be scheduled (congressional inquiries are less likely to be helpful when a claim for disability is pending at the disability application or request for reconsideration level).
If your request for a social security disability hearing has dragged on for no apparent reason, and you are unable to get a satisfactory explanation from social security as to why your hearing is being delayed, you (or your disability attorney) may want to call to your congressman to help speed things along, and to ensure that the hearing office is aware of the already considerable financial and emotional burden you have suffered as a result of unnecessary delays in the system.
In cases of dire need, a hearing request may possibly be expedited. However, an expedite will not typically happen on its own. A request for an expedite will need to be made (usually sent in writing to the hearing office director) and, often, the expedite request will need to be accompanied by proof of extenuating circumstances (e.g. notices regarding eviction, foreclosure, or utility shutoff).
Return to:
Additional Posts
Social security definition of disability - When is a person considered disabled?
Social security disability definition - to get social security disability do you have to be permanently disabled?
Social Security disability list of impairments
Labels: disability arizona, how to get disability in arizona, social security disability arizona
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