New York Social Security Disability

Each and every year, millions of disabled American citizens apply for Social Security Disability benefits. In New York, approximately 57 percent of the disability claims received are denied by the Social Security Administration (SSA). This means that more than half of New York Social Security Disability applicants must pursue the lengthy and complicated disability appeal process in order to obtain the disability benefits they may be entitled to. While the disability appeal process in New York is not as complicated as some other areas of the nation due to the fact that New York residents do not have to go through the Reconsideration stage of appeals, many New York Social Security Disability applicants still must wait a year or more before receiving their first disability payment.

When a New York Social Security Disability applicant is denied Social Security Disability benefits, they are able to go directly to the hearing stage of the disability appeal process. This is actually good news because previously, when New York Social Security Disability applicants had to pursue a Request for Reconsideration before obtaining a hearing before an administrative law judge, more than 80 percent of disability appeals were denied at the initial stage of the appeal process. New York Social Security Disability applicants can bypass the Reconsideration Request and request a hearing as soon as their initial disability application is denied. Unfortunately, it can take New York Social Security Disability applicants anywhere from 274 to 612 days to obtain their disability hearing. Once an administrative law judge has heard your disability case, you must wait another 45 to 90 days before receiving a decision regarding your case. This means that some New York Social Security Disability applicants must wait more than two years before ever seeing their first Social Security Disability payment.

The SSA's Office of Disability Adjudication and Review (ODAR) is the agency responsible for managing Social Security Disability hearings. The area in which you live will determine which New York ODAR office handles your New York Social Security Disability case. The cities and towns in which the New York ODAR offices are located and the areas that they serve are as follows:

• Albany, New York

The Albany ODAR office serves the Albany, Gloversville, Hudson, Kingston, Oneonta, Plattsburgh, Poughkeepsie, Queensbury, Schenectady and Troy Social Security field offices. The average processing time for this office is 376 days.

• Bronx, New York

The Bronx ODAR office serves the East Bronx, Hunts Point, Laconia Avenue, North Bronx and West Farms Social Security field offices. The average processing time for this office is 532 days.

• Brooklyn, New York

The Brooklyn ODAR office serves the Avenue X, Bay Ridge, Bedford Heights, Boro Hall, Bushwick, Canarsie, Cypress Hills (except for zip codes 11414, 11416, 11417, 11418, 11419, 11420 and 1142, which are serviced by the Queens ODAR office), East New York, Flatbush and Williamsburg Social Security field offices. The average processing time for this office is 274 days.

• Buffalo, New York

The Buffalo ODAR office services the Amherst, Batavia, Buffalo, Dunkirk, Geneva, Greece, Jamestown, Niagara Falls, Olean, Ridge Road and Rochester Social Security field offices. The average processing time for this office is 580 days.

• Jericho, New York

The Jericho ODAR office serves the Freeport, Long Beach, Melville, Mineola, Patchogue, Riverhead and West Babylon Social Security field offices. The average processing time for this office is 377 days.

• New York, New York

The New York City ODAR office serves the Bronx Hub, Chinatown, Downtown, East Harlem, East Village, Grand Central/United Nations, Hylan Blvd, Midtown, South Bronx, Staten Island, Uptown and Washington Heights Social Security field offices. The average processing time for this office is 545 days.

• Jamaica, New York

The Jamaica ODAR office services the Astoria, Far Rockaway, Flushing, Glendale, Jamaica, Long Island City and Rego Park Social Security field offices as well as the Social Security field offices in zip codes 11414, 11416, 11417, 11418, 11419, 11420 and 11421 in Cypress Hills. The average processing time for this office is 462 days.

• Syracuse, New York

The Syracuse ODAR office serves the Binghamton, Corning, Elmira, Ithaca, Ogdensburg, Oswego, Rome, Syracuse, Utica and Watertown Social Security field offices. The average processing time for this office is 612 days.

• White Plains, New York

The White Plains ODAR office services the Monticello, Mount Vernon, New Rochelle, Newburgh, Peekskill, West Nyack, White Plains and Yonkers Social Security field offices. The average processing time for this office is 425 days.

Hiring a New York Social Security Disability Attorney

If you are applying for Social Security Disability benefits in New York, you are more likely to be approved during the initial stage of the application process if you retain the services of a qualified New York Social Security Disability lawyer. When you hire a qualified New York disability attorney, he or she will work with you to obtain the medical evidence that will be needed to support your disability claim. Your New York Social Security Disability attorney will also work to ensure that your application for disability benefits is submitted in the best light possible to the SSA, increasing your chances of receiving an approval during the initial stage of the Social Security Disability application process. If your initial disability application is denied by the SSA, your New York disability lawyer will be able to represent you during your disability appeal.

For New York Social Security Disability applicants, the first stage of appeals is a hearing before an administrative law judge. The good news is that nearly two-thirds of Social Security Disability appeals are decided in favor of the applicant as a result of a disability hearing. Your chances of receiving a favorable decision from the administrative law judge are statistically increased with proper legal representation.

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