Oregon Social Security Disability

Approximately 3.8 percent of the nearly 2.5 million residents living in the State of Oregon receive disability benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA). This year, thousands of more hard-working Oregon residents will become disabled and will have to stop working full time as a result of the limitations the disability places on them. These workers may decide to apply for Social Security Disability benefits and many will expect to be approved for benefits in a matter of three to four months. The truth is, while the initial application process does only take a few months to complete, very few Oregon Social Security Disability applicants are actually awarded benefits during the initial stage of the application process.

The SSA receives millions of disability claims each year and only approves about 30 percent of those claims at the initial application stage. The remaining 70 percent of Oregon Social Security Disability applicants must undergo a lengthy and exhausting disability appeal process in order to obtain the benefits they may be rightfully entitled to. In the State of Oregon, the first stage of appeals is called a Request for Reconsideration. Unfortunately, more than 80 percent of these appeals are also denied by the SSA. In order for most Oregon Social Security Disability applicants to obtain the benefits they need, they must attend a disability hearing before an administrative law judge.

For many Oregon Social Security Disability applicants, the process of obtaining benefits is anything but quick and easy. It will take an applicant approximately four months to complete the initial stage of the application process and another four months to complete the request for reconsideration. This means that most applicants are already eight months into the waiting game before they are able to request a hearing before an administrative law judge. Depending on which part of Oregon you live in, it will take another 456 to 679 days to obtain this disability hearing.

Why does it take so long for Oregon Social Security Disability applicants to be scheduled for a hearing before an administrative law judge? The long wait times are the result of the backlog of disability applicants waiting for their day in court. The agency in charge of scheduling disability hearings for disability applicants is the Office of Disability Adjudication and Review (ODAR). The area that you live in determine which ODAR office handles your disability case. The backlog being managed by that particular office is what determines how long you must wait for a disability hearing. The ODAR offices responsible for managing the disability hearings for Oregon disability applicants are as follows:

• Eugene, Oregon

The ODAR office located in Eugene, Oregon is responsible for scheduling the disability hearings for the Social Security field offices in Chiloquin, Christmas Valley, the I-5 Corridor from Salem to Weed, CA, Klamath Falls, La Pine, Lakeview, Madras, Medford, the Oregon Coast from Depoe Bay to Gold Beach, Prineville, Redmond, Salem and Sisters. It takes this office an average of 456 days to schedule a hearing for Oregon Social Security Disability applicants.

• Portland, Oregon

The Portland ODAR office is responsible for managing the disability hearings for the Social Security field offices in Astoria, Beaverton, La Grande, Pendleton, Portland Downtown, Portland East, Portland South and The Dalles. It takes this office an average of 679 days to schedule a disability hearing.

Hiring an Oregon Social Security Disability Attorney

All Oregon Social Security Disability applicants who have to undergo the SSA's complicated appeal process must wait more than a year before being scheduled for a hearing before an administrative law judge. Some applicants wait more than two years before seeing their first payment from the SSA. Many applicants wonder if there is any way to increase their chances of obtaining benefits during the initial application stage, thereby avoiding the strenuous disability appeal process.

The best way to increase your chances of obtaining a favorable decision of your initial disability claim is to retain the services of a qualified Oregon Social Security Disability lawyer. Your lawyer will work with you to ensure that your application is completed properly and that you have sufficient medical evidence to support your claim for disability benefits. He or she will also ensure that your claim is presented to the SSA in the best light possible, increasing your chances of a favorable decision. If, for some reason, your application for disability benefits is denied, your Oregon Social Security Disability attorney can represent you through the disability appeal process.

If you have already been denied during the initial application stage of the Social Security Disability claim process, you should contact an Oregon Social Security Disability lawyer as soon as possible. You only have 60 days from the date you are denied to appeal the SSA's decision. Statistics show that applicants who have proper legal representation during the appeal process are more likely to be awarded benefits than those who choose to represent themselves.

If you would like to learn more about hiring an Oregon Social Security Disability attorney, click here to receive a free evaluation of your Social Security Disability case.