Staten Island Social Security Disability Lawyer
When a disability has undermined your ability to support yourself, getting Social Security Disability benefits is critical to your health and financial wellbeing. Trust a Staten Island Social Security Disability lawyer to give you the best chance possible of getting the benefits you need.
When you find yourself with a long-term disability that leaves you unable to work, it’s crucial that you get the help you need to stay afloat. And working with a Staten Island Social Security Disability lawyer from Finkelstein, Meirowitz & Eidlisz, LLP is the first step you’ll want to take.
We’ll work alongside you through every step of the process to get your application approved.
What Is the Timeline of My Application?
It’s no surprise that disability victims are eager to get through the legal proceedings as quickly as possible so they can start receiving the benefits they’re in desperate need of. That’s why one of the most common questions a Staten Island Social Security Disability lawyer receives is how long applicants should expect to wait before hearing back from the Social Security Administration (SSA) regarding the status of their claims.
Sadly, the answer isn’t exactly straightforward. As in most areas of the law, the legal proceedings involved in filing for disability benefits can be tricky and are contingent on the unique factors of each individual case. The amount of time before you are given either an approval or a denial will vary from case to case.
There are a lot of moving parts involved in the application process. From gathering the evidence needed to prove your injuries to filing medical paperwork and submitting your claim in the correct manner, the amount of time your application takes to process depends on how quickly everything is prepared and handed over. On average, however, most uncomplicated cases take three to four months to be processed and decided upon.
What Comes Next
For those who are approved after their application has been processed, things are relatively straightforward after that, and you can expect to begin collecting your benefits soon. But if your claim is denied, even more time will be added to your wait.
A qualified lawyer won’t want to give up on your chance to recover the compensation you need. That’s why your attorney will likely suggest filing an appeal. That involves requesting a hearing in which your lawyer will advocate for your right to disability benefits.
After these steps, the amount of time before you can collect benefits is, again, sometimes unclear. Most appeals are processed and decided upon in as little as two months. But obtaining a hearing—which is required to successfully reach approval—can take as little as a few weeks to as long as a few years.
Without an attorney, this process is almost certain to take longer, especially if mistakes are made. Finkelstein, Meirowitz & Eidlisz, LLP can expedite the process.
What You Need to Do
A big part of the agony that comes from waiting for your application to be processed is wondering whether you will be approved to receive benefits. Although there is no concrete way for you to be able to predict whether you’ll receive an acceptance or a denial, it’s helpful to first understand the SSA’s requirements.
Failing to meet these requirements could result in an automatic denial of your claim. Your Staten Island Social Security Disability lawyer will go over, in detail, all of the guidelines and requirements you’ll need to meet to recover benefits.
To be approved to receive Social Security Disability benefits, you will need to satisfy these requirements:
- Your disease, injury, or disability must be on the approved list of conditions that are covered by the SSA.
- You must undergo a medical exam with a qualified professional so your Staten Island Social Security Disability lawyer can prove two things: that your disability is substantial and severe enough to qualify for benefits and that your illness is either expected to last or has already lasted at least 12 months or will result in your death.
- You must be able to prove that your disability is severe enough that it prevents you from maintaining a job.
You will also need to submit evidence to the SSA that you were employed for no less than five years within the last ten-year span and that you have continuously paid Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) premiums. You will also need to prove that your disability was not due to drug or alcohol abuse and that you have never been convicted of a crime.
Benefits You Might Receive
Of course, none of this effort is worth anything if you can’t collect the necessary damages to help you care for your illness and financial wellbeing. To this end, a Staten Island Social Security Disability lawyer with our firm will work tirelessly to not only ensure that your application is approved, but that you are granted all of the benefits you need to maintain your quality of life.
Some of the damages you may be eligible for through the SSA include the following:
- Medical – The primary focus of receiving benefits is to help you maintain your wellbeing. That’s why the SSA grants Medicaid coverage to disability victims whose applications are approved.
- Cash Benefits – More often than not, simply receiving medical coverage isn’t enough to help disability victims take care of their basic needs. Because of that, monthly cash benefits are usually awarded to approved applicants. The amount you may receive will depend on the unique factors of your lifestyle and case, but your Staten Island Social Security Disability lawyer can help you understand what you can expect to receive.
- Retroactive Payments – Because the application and processing timeline can take so long, some applicants may be eligible to receive retroactive payments for the time they were out of work.
Reach Out to a Lawyer Today
If you’re interested in filing for benefits to help you manage your disability, don’t wait to start the process. Get in touch with Finkelstein, Meirowitz & Eidlisz, LLP, and we’ll do everything we can to get you the benefits you need.
You can reach a Staten Island Social Security Disability lawyer by calling 212-385-9190 or heading to the bottom of this page to fill out our online contact form.