This information may help claimants with representation, as well as claimants who are not represented by an attorney or non attorney representative. Understanding how the Social Security Disability system works can make the difference between winning or not winning the continuing disability benefits and backpay to which a person is entitled. |
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I HAD A STROKE IN 2003 AND FILED FOR DISABILITY IN SEPT. IVE BEEN DENIED TWICE. I GOT A LAWYER AND NOW IM WAITING FOR A VIDEO HEARING DATE. IS IT JUST THE PROCESS OR WHY IS THIS TAKING SO LONG? THE LAST TIME I HEARD FROM MY LAWYER WAS IN AUG OF 2004. IS THERE ANY ADVICE YOU COULD GIVE ME OR DO I JUST WAIT? Video hearings are a relatively new thing and the rationale for them seems be a desire on the part of Social Security to accomodate two aims. First, video hearings may allow hearings offices to move cases faster by reducing travel time for administrative law judges (who, very often, are required to drive considerable distances to hold hearings for disability claimants). Secondly, video hearings may, in certain instances, make it easier for claimants without transportation to get to their scheduled hearings. In your letter you did not specify when your hearing was requested. However, keep one thing in mind. it can, depending on the state in which you live, take a year or longer to get to an ALJ hearing (for example, as of february 2005, the Raleigh North Carolina hearing office was estimating the wait to be as long as 20 months). With such long waits, most attorney or nonattorney representatives will not begin preparation for a case until 6-8 weeks before a hearing and for this reason: your representative will want to obtain your most recent medical records as well as your older records. Therefore, it makes sense to request records approximately 2 months prior to a hearing date. So, in other words, if you haven't heard from your representative in several months, it may simply be that there hasn't been a reason to contact you. In many cases, quite honestly, until a hearing date approaches there isn't a lot for an attorney or non-attorney rep to do. Good Luck with your hearing. Disability Advocates Help with Claims Free Case Evaluation |
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SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY ATTORNEY, REPRESENTATIVE LAWYER LIST ANSWERS TO YOUR SSD & SSI QUESTIONS PAGE 5 ANSWERS TO YOUR SSD & SSI QUESTIONS PAGE 6 |
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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. |
| Questions about Social Security Disability What if a judge denies your disability claim ? |