The majority of the people we see in our consultations will ask why the disability process can take so long. The fact is that there is a backlog of pending disability claims with the Social Security Administration. Many, if not most, of the Social Security Administration Offices are severely backlogged. Additionally, there is a three-step process involved in a disability claim in most jurisdictions which is as follows:
1. Initial Application (if denied)
2. Request for Reconsideration (if denied)
3.Request for Hearing before an Administrative Law Judge
Unfortunately, the majority of disability claims are not approved either on the initial application or during the reconsideration phase and the claim has to be processed with a formal hearing in front of a Federal Administrative Law Judge. This process, in many instances, can take well over a year and usually up to two years. This amount of time is extremely stressful on claimants and can often leave them in severe financial distress. Fortunately, there may be ways, on certain select cases, to expedite the process and receive a favorable determination at a much earlier date. At Drummond Disability, we judge these cases on a case-by-case basis. This procedure for expediting appropriate claims based upon “dire need” sometimes allows us to get an early decision by careful review of the evidence and presentation to the hearing office with a request for a favorable determination being made “on the record” without waiting for a formal hearing.
For a FREE Consultation or Evaluation of your disability claim, do not hesitate to contact our office at our toll free number, 1-800-842-0426.
The Drummond Disability Guarantee: “If we can’t win, it’s FREE.”