Maryland Social Security Disability

This year alone, millions of disabled American workers will apply for disability benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA). In Maryland, nearly seventy percent of the disability claims received by the SSA will be denied during the initial stage of the application process. This means that about two-thirds of the applicants who apply for disability benefits in Maryland will need to pursue the lengthy and complicated disability appeal process in order to obtain the benefits they may be rightfully entitled to.

The first stage of appeal for Maryland Social Security Disability applicants is called a Request for Reconsideration. Unfortunately, fewer than fifteen percent of these appeals are awarded to Maryland Social Security Disability applicants. The majority of applicants must undergo a disability hearing before an administrative law judge in order to obtain the disability benefits they need.

In the State of Maryland, it can take an applicant well over a year to be scheduled for a disability hearing. Once the hearing has been conducted, it takes another two to three months to be notified of whether or not your benefits were approved as a result of your hearing. In some cases, it takes more than two years from the date of their initial application for some Maryland Social Security Disability applicants to receive their first disability payment from the SSA.

Some Social Security Disability applicants do not understand why it takes so long for a disability hearing to be scheduled. The reasons vary, but for the most part the wait times are due to the extensive backlog of disability cases being managed by the offices in charge of scheduling these hearings. The SSA's Office of Disability Adjudication Review (ODAR) is the agency responsible for scheduling disability hearings before an administrative law judge. The area of Maryland that you live in determines which ODAR office handles your particular disability case and how long you will have to wait for your hearing to be scheduled. The ODAR offices that handle the hearings for Maryland Social Security Disability applicants are as follows:

• Baltimore, Maryland

The ODAR office located in Baltimore, Maryland is responsible for scheduling the disability hearings for the Social Security field offices in Abingdon, Annapolis, Baltimore (Downtown), Baltimore (Glen Burnie), Baltimore (North), Baltimore (Northeast), Baltimore (Reisterstown), Baltimore (Rossville), Baltimore (West), Columbia, Owings Mills, Towson and Westminster. It takes this office an average of 452 days to schedule a disability hearing for a Baltimore Social Security Disability applicant.

• Dover, Delaware

The ODAR office located in Dover, Delaware handles the disability hearings for the Maryland Social Security field offices in Elkton, Cambridge and Salisbury. It takes this office an average of 352 days to schedule a disability hearing.

• Washington D.C.

The ODAR office located in Washington D.C. schedules the disability hearings for the Maryland Social Security field offices in Brightseat, Camp Springs, Greenbelt, Rockville and Silver Spring. It takes this office an average of 330 days to schedule a disability hearing for Maryland Social Security Disability applicants.

Hiring a Maryland Social Security Disability Attorney

If you are applying for Social Security Disability benefits in the State of Maryland, you will be more likely to receive an approval at the initial stage of the claim process if you work with a qualified Maryland Social Security Disability lawyer. When you retain the services of a Maryland Social Security Disability attorney, your attorney will work with you to obtain the medical evidence needed to support your claim. Your attorney will also work with you to ensure that your application is filled out properly and submitted to the SSA in the best light possible. This will significantly increase your chances of being awarded benefits without the need for a lengthy and complicated appeal. If, for some reason, your initial claim for disability benefits is denied, your Maryland Social Security Disability lawyer can increase your chances of successfully appealing the SSA's decision to deny your disability benefits.

The first stage of appeals for Maryland Social Security Disability applicants is a Request for Reconsideration. As mentioned earlier, the majority of these appeals are denied by the SSA. The stage of appeals that you and your attorney will be focused on is the disability hearing before an administrative law judge. Nearly two-thirds of disability applicants are awarded benefits as a result of this hearing. Your chances of being one of the applicants who is awarded benefits by an administrative law judge are greatly increased with proper legal representation.

Many people fear that they are not able to afford the services of a qualified Maryland Social Security Disability attorney. The good news is that these attorneys work on a contingency basis and are not paid unless you win your disability case. If you do win your case and are awarded disability benefits, your attorney will receive either 25 percent of the back pay amount you are awarded by the SSA or $6,000 (whichever is less). This makes hiring proper legal representation affordable to almost every single disability applicant.

Click here to learn more about hiring a Maryland Security Disability lawyer and to receive a free evaluation of your Social Security Disability case.