SSD and the Long Wait
Posted on Apr 1, 2011 5:45pm PDT
Social Security Disability Lawyer - Why the long wait?
Once you complete the application for social security disability (SSD) benefits, you will usually received a response from the Social Security Administration within four to six months depending upon where you live. Some states are faster than others.
Once you receive a response from your initial social security disability application, you must file either a Request for Reconsideration (in most staes), or a Request or Hearing (Prototype states only - i.e., Pennsylvania). By the time you get to a hearing, you will have most likely waited anywhere between 12 to 24 months to receive an actual hearing date before an Administrative Law Judge.
Understandably, the long wait is unbearable for most of our clients. They do not have any income coming in each month because they are unemployed due to their medical conditions. The best thing to do during this waiting period is to prepare for your hearing before the ALJ. This will be your only chance to actually tell your story in your own words and support it with objective medical evidence.
The medical evidence is probably the single most important factor in determining yyour eligibility for SSD. While you are awaiting your hearing date, you and your attorney should be gathering all of your medical evidence that is relelvant to your medical condition.
In addition, you should utilize the wait period to obtain narrative reports from your treating physician(s). A narrative report is a report from your doctor detailing your medical condition. Some doctors who know that their patients are awaiting a social security disability hearing, will offer an opinion within the narrative report as to whether or not their patient is capable of going back to work.
Such information is extremely helpful for your social security case, and can make or break your case in the end. So I urge you to use your time wisely while you wait for your hearing and hekp your attorney gather all of your medical records and any treating physician opinion reports.
If you have any questions, please contact us for a free telephone consultation.