Ohio Social Security Disability

Each and every year, thousands of Ohio Social Security Disability applicants submit their disability applications to the Social Security Administration expecting to be approved for benefits in a matter of months. Unfortunately, nearly three-fourths of these applicants are denied at the initial stage of the application process and even more are denied at the initial reconsideration stage of appeals. In fact, nearly ninety percent of reconsideration requests, the first stage of the disability appeal process, are not approved by the Social Security Administration. The applicants who file these requests must then go on to obtain a disability hearing before an Administrative Law Judge if they hope to receive disability benefits at some point in the future.

While some states are able to schedule disability hearings in a matter of months, almost all Ohio Social Security Disability applicants must wait more than a year to obtain a hearing before an ALJ. Depending on which area of the state you live in, it can take anywhere from 501 to 605 days to be scheduled for a disability hearing. Once you have had your day in court, it takes another 45 to 90 days to receive a notice regarding the outcome. This means that many Ohio Social Security Disability applicants often wait more than two years from the date they submit their initial disability application to the time they receive an approval of their disability claim.

The SSA's Office of Disability Adjudication and Review, commonly referred to as ODAR, is the agency responsible for overseeing the SSA's Social Security Disability hearings. The area in which you live determines which ODAR office handles your Social Security Disability case, and will also play a role in how long you will have to wait before you have your case heard before an Administrative Law Judge. The cities and towns in which the Ohio ODAR offices are located and the field offices they serve are as follows:

• Akron, Ohio

The ODAR office located in Akron, Ohio is responsible for scheduling the disability hearings for the Akron (Downtown and West), Canton, Medina, New Philadelphia, Ravenna, Warren, Wooster and Youngstown Social Security field offices. It takes this ODAR office an average of nine and a half months to schedule a disability hearing for Ohio Social Security Disability applicants.

• Cincinnati, Ohio

The Cincinnati ODAR office schedules the disability hearings for the Batavia, Cincinnati (Downtown), Cincinnati (North), Gallipolis, Hamilton, Ironton and Portsmouth Social security field offices. It takes this office an average of 501 days to schedule a disability hearing.

• Cleveland, Ohio

The Cleveland ODAR office is responsible for scheduling the disability hearings for the Ashtabula, Cleveland (Downtown, Northwesst, Northeast, East, Southeast, Southwest, University Circle and West), Cleveland-Buckeye Shaker, Euclid, Lorain and Painesville Social Security field offices. It takes this office an average of 531 days to schedule a disability hearing.

• Columbus, Ohio

The Columbus ODAR office services the Chillicothe, Columbus (Downtown, East, North, West), Lancaster, Mansfield, Marion, Newark and Zanesville Social Security field offices. The average processing time for this office is 605 days.

• Dayton, Ohio

The Dayton ODAR office serves the Dayton, Dayton-West, Middleton, Piqua, Springfield and Xenia Social Security field offices. The average processing time for the Dayton ODAR office is 557 days.

• Toledo, Ohio

The Toledo ODAR office handles the disability hearings for the Bowling Green, Defiance, Findlay, Fremont, Lima, Sandusky and Toledo (Downtown and West) Social Security field offices. It takes this office an average of fifteen months to schedule a disability hearing.

Hiring an Ohio Social Security Disability Attorney

Many Ohio Social Security Disability applicants do not want to wait a year or more before being approved for Social Security Disability benefits. Because of this, they wonder if there is any way to avoid the lengthy disability appeal process. The fact of the matter is, retaining the services of a qualified Ohio Social Security Disability attorney may increase your chances of being approved for disability benefits at the initial stage of the application process. This may help you avoid the need for a long and complicated disability appeal.

Statistically, Ohio Social Security Disability applicants who retain proper legal representation are more likely to be awarded disability benefits than applicants who choose to represent themselves during the initial stage of the disability appeal process. When you hire an Ohio Social Security Disability lawyer, your lawyer will work with you to obtain the medial records you need to support your disability claim. They will also work with you to ensure that your application for disability benefits is submitted properly to the Social Security Administration. If your initial application for disability benefits is denied, your Ohio Social Security Disability attorney will be able to represent you at your hearing before an ALJ.

Fortunately, hiring an Ohio Social Security Disability attorney does not have to be cost prohibitive. Disability attorneys work on a contingency basis, receiving 25 percent of the back payment you are awarded by the Social Security Administration or $6,000 (whichever is less). If you do not win your disability case, your attorney receives no compensation. This means that it is in your attorney's best interest to represent you to the best of their ability.

Click here if you would like to learn more about hiring an Ohio Social Security Disability lawyer and to receive a free evaluation of your Social Security Disability case.