We have started receiving correspondence for some of our Social Security disability clients that is from Social Security offices in Arkansas.  When I received the first one, I figured there had to be some kind of mistake, or thought perhaps my client had moved and failed to tell me.  When I called the office in Arkansas, the nice lady told me they are now helping process some of the claims in New Mexico due to the backlog of cases here.

I consider this very good news because it means someone is working the file and trying to keep it moving forward.  Local Social Security offices all over the country are understaffed and as a result get behind on their caseload which translates in to delays for the claimants.  I think it is a great idea for some of the offices that are not overloaded to help those that are.

Hopefully this trend will continue which will mean reduced time that it takes to receive a response at the various levels of appeal.  I have no problem working with an office in Arkansas if it means my clients get their disability benefits sooner.

3)    Get denied and fail to appeal.

I high percentage of people who have filed for SSI/Social Security disability benefits get denied at the initial application level as well as the reconsideration level.  Unfortunately, often times people get denied and they do not pursue the case any further.  That is a huge mistake because a denial at one of those two stages certainly does not mean that you cannot get disability benefits.  Most of our success on disability claims is accomplished at the hearing level which comes after reconsideration.  Unfortunately many people who are legitimately disabled never get to the hearing level because they do not appeal a denial.

4)    Appeal a disability denial but do it more than 60 days after receiving the denial.

Many people who get denied disability benefits do not realize how important it is to remember that there is a 60 day deadline to file an appeal.  If you miss the deadline then you more than likely will have to apply again, which could very well cost you some back pay.  I often tell my clients that the most important thing on a denial decision is the date it was issued.  When you get denied be very mindful of the 60 day deadline and be careful not to miss it.

1)    Delay filing for benefits

It is very important that you apply for benefits as soon as your medical condition worsens to the point where you can no longer work.  For SSI benefits, if you are found disabled, your benefits can only go back to the date of your application.  For example, if you became disabled and quit working in January 2009, but did not file an SSI application until July 2009, your disability benefits can start no earlier than July 2009.  If you had filed an application immediately upon becoming disabled, you would have received an addition 6 months of back pay which could be a large amount of money.

For Social Security disability, your back pay, can go back 1 year from the date of the application.  As a result you have more time to submit an SSD application before it starts having an impact on your benefits.  However people still often make the mistake of waiting to file for SSD benefits for a year or two after they become disabled.  Please do not make this mistake because it can significantly reduce the amount of your back pay.

2)    Assume that you will quickly get on SSI/Social Security disability benefits

For many people the process of getting approved for SSI/Social Security disability benefits is a long process.  It is not uncommon for it to take a year and a half to two years to get on disability benefits.  As you start the process know that it will likely require a lot of patience and take a long time to get resolved.