Fresno SSD Benefits Delay Attorneys
When you are disabled, and need disability benefits to help pay for medical treatment and lost wages, you cannot afford to wait. Lengthy delays can mean losing access to the care you need, or can force you to miss crucial monthly payments. Unfortunately, the Social Security Administration (SSA) is a bureaucracy that is well-known for its delays and inefficiencies.
The ones who are truly harmed by the SSA's delays are those who are hurting already. At Milam Law, our firm offers decades of experience in these matters, and is committed to helping people and families throughout California's Central Valley obtain the disability benefits they deserve. We work hard at making the entire process as efficient and timely as possible for our clients.
Never have the delays in the system been more difficult on people, or those who serve them at our office. With fewer programs out there now to assist people who are in crisis, and with our country's economic difficulties, people are hurting more now than ever, based on what we see at Milam Law. And, believe us, we hear it all. Often, it is almost impossible to bear the stories we hear. Unfortunately, there are not a great number of ways given by the SSA to claimants or attorneys to effectively deal with the delays, mostly caused by the SSA's lack of resources to handle the massive applications pending. So, these delays are inevitable, no matter what is done or not done by a claimant or attorney, though sometimes they can be shortened somewhat.
At Milam Law, we are fully aware of the short cuts possible, some of which have even just been started at the ODAR level. We will help you pursue valid means of speeding up your case as they arise; however, sometimes it is just applying the elbow grease of getting your appeals filed ASAP. Waiting is an unfortunate byproduct of the system for everyone.
Some of the things you can do, as individuals to speak out and lift your own banner, are age old remedies. You can, indeed, take action, even though the action may or may not directly benefit you: call or write your Washington D.C. representatives (they serve us); call and write your local SSA offices (we pay their salaries); and call and write media and local advocate groups (they are often there to help you in a variety of ways). At the least, your complaints will help the government understand more the pain you and your family have experienced from the system, and try to come up with more money or insight to speed things up, and take full and fair action for you and/or others down the road. Although SSA funding has been increased over the last few years, there was a bill introduced in Congress in early 2011 to radically reduce its funding right now (this is not the first time, certainly, nor will it be the last time). At Milam Law, we believe this type of thing will get worse until there is a miracle turnaround in our country. So, it is crucial for us all to work together to advocate for right to be done for us and our country. We do so for you, in many ways, and will continue to ask God to bless our country and its people, especially those we serve.
Perhaps more practically, you can also get paperwork from your doctors, if you so desire. It is important especially to get older medical records, which are relevant. SSA often will not get historical records, even though they may be very relevant. You should try to recall any medical treatment that you had in the past that confirms your diagnoses, which were established before you stopped work, and reports of old surgeries, if you are still having problems at the site of that surgery. These old records may help prove your current problems exist (this is more important to have where you are not now getting [much] care medically for those medical issues). To the degree you can get old and all your current records early for the SSA, this can speed things up, some, even though there may be some cost in doing so.
Information on this website is provided as a service of Milam Law. Contact us regarding Social Security disability claims and denials.
Sacramento Social Security Process Delay Lawyers
During the initial application process of a Social Security claim, it usually takes at least six months to file the claim and get a decision from SSA. If the initial claim is denied, the reconsideration phase may take another four to eight months. The wait to present your case to an administrative law judge (ALJ) can take more than 12 months. If you have to appeal your case to the appeals council in Virginia, it is yet 12 more months, typically, before you get a decision. Then, the fifth and sixth appeals can be in the federal court system, first at a district court, and then at a circuit court. Of course, that takes considerable time as well. By working with an experienced attorney, you can make sure that you are not wasting time. We will fully prepare your claim and present your case to increase the possibility that benefits will be granted. If you are still denied, we will intervene in the appeals process to speed it up as much as possible.
Contact Our Firm and Speed Up the Delays
If you have questions regarding the speed of filing a Social Security claim, contact us at Milam Law. Schedule a free, initial consultation at one of our Northern California offices, including Fresno, Sacramento and Modesto. Call us toll free at 877-840-3508.
