SSDI applications in New Jersey can be quite a lengthy process and often times; claims are denied on your first go around. In fact, in many cases, claimants only begin to receive benefits after their case has been heard by the Administrative Law Judge at an SSDI hearing. However, with the help of a talented New Jersey Disability Attorney, you can make this process go by much faster. This article will explain how a New Jersey SSDI Attorney can help speed up your application.
The Social Security Disability process is known to be extremely slow and the time it takes for a case to be processed can depend on:
* The caseload of the Social Security inspector who is reviewing your Social Security Disability claim
* The time it takes to retrieve your medical records from the doctors and hospitals you have visited; and
* The number of cases that are up for a review by the Administrative Law Judge who will review your Social Security Disability claim.
In some instances, a claimant may have circumstances which are considered “dire need.” Social Security recognizes and has rules in place for people applying for SSI or Social Security disability that may be in need of faster processing of their claim which they categorize as “critical cases” which consists of a “dire need.” It might help to submit a dire need letter with all of the appropriate information: overdue bills, mortgage notices, etc. which will prove you lack the financial resources to support yourself. A New Jersey Social Security Disability Attorney can make certain the letter is filed correctly. The dire need letter may persuade the court to accelerate their disability decision.
Another method that can be exercised to speed up your Social Security Disability decision is to submit what’s called an “on-the-record-review” (or OTR) regarding your case. This can only be done after your New Jersey Social Security Disability Lawyer has completed a request for your Social Security Disability hearing before the Administrative Law Judge. An application for an on the record decision is most useful if it is done by an experienced Social Security disability lawyer, and if that lawyer has a good reputation for doing OTR’s, particularly when a case is strong and has a good chance of winning without the necessity for a hearing.
There is no doubt that having the backing of an experienced SSDI Attorney in New Jersey can only help your chances of being awarded benefits but also expedite the application process. An Attorney who practices SSDI cases regularly will be familiar with the courts and its procedures.
