This information may help social security disability claimants with representation, as well as claimants who are not represented by a disability attorney or non attorney representative. Understanding how the social security disability system works can make the difference between winning or not winning the ssd or ssi benefits to which a person is entitled. |
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For the most part, a disability claimant's financial situation will have no bearing on the pace at which a social security disability or ssi disability case is processed. However, if a disability claimant is waiting for a hearing to be scheduled with an Administrative Law Judge, this can sometimes be expedited by submitting what is known as a "dire need" letter. In a dire need letter, an ssd or ssi Claimant points out why waiting the normal amount of time for a Hearing (unfortunately, normal can sometimes be a year or longer) might have dire financial consequences. In most cases, this means something on the order of a home foreclosure, or an eviction from an apartment, or not being able to obtain prescriptions that are desperately needed. Are dire need letters effective for social security disability claims and ssi claims? That is, does social security, or, rather, the hearing office, take them seriously? Yes and no. Every OHA (office of hearings and appeals) in the country gets hundreds of dire need letters. Therefore, it's somewhat normal for the disability process at this level to give scant attention to the majority of such letters. The letters which get the most attention (remember, a person, possibly much like yourself, reads these) are the ones that have the most detail. So, if are your bills are behind, mention this. If your car is in danger of being repossessed, certainly mention this. And if your home situation is in jeopardy, make this the first item that you address. However, the letters that are most effective in aiding your social security disability case are those that have documentation attached: copies of past due notices, eviction threats, foreclosure proceedings, and the like. Submitting a dire need letter for the purposes of expediting your ssd or ssi case will not guarantee that your case will be moved along faster. And if an expedite is granted, there is no guarantee as to how much faster a disability claim will be processed (i.e. how much sooner a disability hearing before an ALJ will be scheduled). Having said that, though, even if a dire need letter only shaves a few months off the total time required to get a hearing date, writing such a letter is certainly worth the effort. Tip: Always keep a copy of the dire need letter you submit, and after you submit the letter, be sure to follow up on it a couple weeks later to make sure it has been received. Disability Advocates Help with Claims Free Case Evaluation |
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SOCIAL SECURITY LAWYER - SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY LAWYER REFERRAL ANSWERS TO YOUR SSD & SSI QUESTIONS PAGE 1 ANSWERS TO YOUR SSD & SSI QUESTIONS PAGE 2 |
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If you suffer from a medical disability such as hip, neck, shoulder, ankle, wrist, back, or other joint problems, disc herniation, degenerative disc disease, spinal stenosis, carpal tunnel syndrome, rsi or repetetive stress injury, inflammatory bowel disease, ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, arthritis, dysthymia, depression or other mood disorders, congestive or chronic heart failure, type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, diabetic neuropathy, high blood pressure (hypertension), seizure disorder, stroke, copd, emphysema, hearing loss or poor hearing, statutory blindness, peripheral field problems or other vision loss, clinical obesity, attention deficit hyperactivity or, simply, adhd, bipolar disorder or manic depression, panic disorder, schizophrenia, autism, head trauma, memory loss, low iq, mental retardation, learning disability, epilepsy, cancer, chronic fatigue, multiple sclerosis, lupus, anxiety, inner ear problems, meniere's, vertigo or dizziness, kidney failure requiring dialysis or other renal problems, cirrhosis, hepatitis, or other liver disease, pancreatitis, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, asthma, bronchitis, cystic fibrosis, rsd or reflex sympathetic dystrophy, crohn's disease, sarcoidosis, peripheral vascular disease, lyme disease, cerebral palsy, down syndrome, hiv, aids, anemia, sickle cell, thyroid problems including hypothyroidism, esrd or end stage renal disease, reflux, gerd (gastroesophageal reflux disease), cfids, muscular dystrophy, coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathy, or tachycardia, bradycardia or other arrhythmia and have initiated or been denied on a social security disability, or ssi, claim for benefits, this site may assist you with your case. Social Security Disability benefits are often difficult to win; however many claims for social security disability are lost simply because a claimant did not know enough about the disability process to their social security or ssi claim. For information re: representation on a social security disability or ssi claim (attorney or non attorney representative), see the "questions" & "how" pages. |
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