Disability Information & Resources

With as much mail as we receive these days, it’s important to be able to tell the good from the bad and the ugly.  Be careful, however, because some of what may appear at first to be unnerving may not always be a cause for fear or alarm.

Although clearly addressed from the government and postmarked with the government use stamp, the Social Security statement is certainly nothing to dread.  In fact, in the event that you do become disabled or deceased, the information contained in the report will be extremely valuable to those you love the most.

The statement typically arrives within a few months of your birthday each year.  You can also order a statement from Social Security Administration at any time.  Contained in the report is information and a history of your employment earnings that were subject to Social Security withholding for each calendar year.  The statement will tell you in specific, easy-to-read language how much money you or your survivors would be entitled to receive in the event of your death or if you become disabled and must apply for Social Security disability.

The statement will also help you to plan for your retirement, as different amounts are payable depending on your age at the time of your retirement.  Additionally, mistakes are made from time to time regarding your past earnings, your address or even your name, in cases of name changes due to marriage, divorce or other circumstances.  The IRS and the Social Security Administration share information about your name and address, so this is another opportunity to make sure that the IRS has it right as well.

PR Newswire reports that a survey of more than 200 Social Security Attorneys nationwide revealed that one of the most important factors in determining whether or not a disabled person will be approved for Social Security benefits is not something that would normally make the top of a list of possible reasons.  As surprising as it sounds, your disability claim may be held hostage by nothing more than where you live.

Turns out, it appears to be true.  The survey revealed major differences in approval rates for Social Security disability benefits and Supplemental Security Income benefits based when similar claimants with similar conditions and educational background were compared across different geographic areas of the country. Further, the study revealed that geography also plays a significant role in the amount of the back pay awarded by the administrative law judge.

When the geographic variable was removed the approval rates and award amounts fell back within reasonable averages when compared against one another.

Possible Causes

The study organizers indicated that the disparate results are most likely caused by the differing attitudes and views of the various judges  that hear these types of cases.  However, there are other theories as to why the results are so different from one location to another.

Samuel Packard, a Social Security attorney for Packard LaPray, doesn’t completely agree.  “Typically, the amount of back pay awarded depends on the amount of time a person has to wait before they have a  hearing with the judge.  As a result, if a certain geographic location has a long processing time before hearings are held, then claimants that live in that area will typically be awarded more back pay,” he stated.

When asked to next consider possible causes of disparity in overall approvals, Packard continued by stating, “A high percentage of denials are not based on whether the claimant is actually disabled, but rather on the amount of medical treatment the claimant could have received that would have proved their medical condition.  As a result, people who live in geographic locations that offer health care to those who are indigent or otherwise financially destitute have a higher chance of showing the judge that they are in fact disabled.”

What Can Be Done?

While these factors may appear to be outside the control of claimants and their attorneys, that isn’t always the case.  Many Social Security lawyers agree that continued, regular visits to the doctor during the life of the claim can help overcome the influencing factors of geography in determining approval rates and award amounts in disability claims.

Statistics also indicate that claimants who are represented by experienced Social Security attorneys have a much higher approval rate at hearings than those who simply choose to represent themselves.  A claimant’s representative will help ensure that medical care and continuous updates to the medical record by doctors and other qualified health professionals so that the record does not become bare leading up to the hearing.