How Long Should It Take To Get Social Security Disability Benefits?

Social Security has two benefits available to those who are under age 65 and are unable to work due to accident or illness.  SSI is the benefit given to individuals who are not insured in the Social Security system with enough work credits.  SSDI is awarded to those who have worked full time in the past and have accumulated enough work credits.  There are many eligibility criteria beside time worked which can be found on my website www.vipbenefitservicesofamerica.com or the Social Security Association Website : www.ssa.gov.

Those who need to apply for those benefits may do so on their own behalf or have a friend or family member assist them.  They may also chose to use the services of a professional such as a care manager or they may hire an attorney to represent them.

When an individual attempts to apply for Social Security Disability on their own, the application is often denied. Denial may be due to lack of information,  poor wording used on the application and lack of experience and training of the individual completing the form. This can cause delays, hearings, multiple denials and other issues which may cause the applicant to wait a long time, sometimes years for their benefits. Some frustrated applicants give up all together.

When using a paid professional such as a care manager or attorney, the disabled applicant should be aware of several important points which can effect how long the process will take, additional steps such as hearings and lastly, how much the professional will be paid.

The Federal law has unfortunately been structured in such as way that the professional assisting in the Social Security Disability application process may be paid either 25 % of the total retroactive money collected or a maximum of $6,000, which ever is less. The professional can only be paid if the Social Security Disability benefits are approved. No professional can charge for their service in advance of the approval. Obviously this creates a conflict of interest because the longer the case is drawn out, the more retroactive benefits will be due to the applicant and that mean the more money the professional can charge. Cases which are handled most effectively will only take 3 months, making the retroactive benefits just a few hundred dollars. Attorneys are the only professionals allowed to collect from the client even more than 25% of the retroactive benefits as their fee.  If a Social Security Disability hearing is necessary, attorneys are allowed to charge extra for all their time and court costs. There is NO incentive for an attorney to wrap up a case in three months or less or to avoid hearings.

The real travesty with this law is that the applicant is disabled all the while, cannot work and may lose their home, their assets , their car and more while they wait two or three years for a case to finally get approved.

Most Social Security Disability cases should be settled within 3-6 months if the applicant has real documented injuries or illnesses, has sought appropriate medical care and truly cannot work. For a case like this to drag on for years is usually not necessary. Because there are many rules and nuances one must know in order to apply for SSI and SSDI successfully, I do not recommend applying on your own without guidance. If hiring a professional such as a care manager or attorney, ask them for their track record of success and average length of time from application to SSDI or SSI approval. Also ask what percentage of their cases have required a hearing.

It is rare for any case that we process at V.I.P. Care Management or V.I.P. Benefit Services of America to require a hearing in order to be approved. V.I.P. Care Management and V.I.P. Benefit Services of America averages 4 months from application to approval and we a 100% approval rate for our SSI and SSDI applications. Call us at 561-588-5151 to discuss your case. Our 20 minute telephone consultations are FREE at V.I.P. Care Management. To learn more visit our websites at www.vipbenefitservicesofamerica.com and www.vipcaremanagement.com

About Health Care Reform

I am normally not the political type, but this Health Care Reform issue has really inspired me to at least launch my perspective into the blogisphere. I cannot believe how many people actually believe that by offering a "Public Option" we will somehow be offering FREE health care coverage to a) illegal aliens b) rich people or c) everyone, including those who can afford to pay for better coverage, thus causing the insurance companies to go out of business. It is unfortunate that fear mongering talk show " entertainers" ( not journalists) are disseminating such misinformation to the public. I want to shed some light on these matters as I see them. I am a professional advocate who is always helping senior clients find a way to cover their health care costs, so this is what I know from actual experience:

1) The only illegal aliens who receive Medicaid are those in the hospital ( coming through the emergency room), those remaining in the hospital due to brain injury or trauma, infants, pregnant mothers and frail elderly who are in nursing homes and have lived in the country documented for over five years. If they are illegal, documentation is often impossible to get, so this happens rarely. Every other illegal person who needs medical attention IS TURNED AWAY.

2) Medicare is a " Public Option" for our aged citizens. They do not have to accept Medicare. They can keep paying for and using another private insurance. Most people choose their public option and then buy a supplemental policy to pay for what the government will not cover, or they pay out of pocket for those "extra" or "luxury" services. Medicare is for every senior regardless of income or assets. Our government, at the risk of seeming like a socialist entity decided to ensure that every elderly person had some basic coverage because they knew most people would not save for their own medical expenses. How much have you saved for your golden years?

3) Social Security is another socialistist government intervention initiated by a wise President who knew that unless the general public were forced to save for retirement, they wouldn't do it or would not put away enough. Have you saved enough for your retirement?

4) A Public Option is an alternative for many hard working Americans who cannot afford health insurance, not even an HMO or who may have a pre-existing condition rendering them ineligible for insurance. Why is it that only the very poor, very young or very old in this country are allowed to partake in a government health care program? And yet it is the poorest and oldest people I know who are ranting against equal health care for all. All Americans deserve the option to have the most basic level of medical care. If we want more than the basics, we can pay for them. That is how Medicare and Medicaid work.

5) Some actually believe that there is not enough money in this country for Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. To that I say only one word: NASA! We have billions, not millions, billions to invest in blowing up part of the moon to look for water, research on Mars and another planned moon walk. This country has a priority problem, not a money problem. We have a lobbist problem and a lawsuit problem and yes, an insurance problem. Allowing the health insurance lobby to become so powerful, our doctors to feel they are the elite and the lawyers to sue doctors and hospitals ad nausium, is a problem. Please do not worry this country will become socialist or communist. That would mean all citizens are seen as equals and there is no chance of that happening any time soon.

6) You can be a capitalist and still be your brother's keeper. As a for -profit business owner, I charge for the health care consulting I do. That said, I have so many poor, pro bono clients that I formed a non- profit corporation to care for them and raise money for them. If every successfull capitalist started even a modest non- profit company to care for the less fortunate or those who are elderly and have no family support, they would be doing their part. We can all do our part and together help our communities. Visit www.EQOLPalmBeach.com and www.vipcaremanagement.com to learn more about what I am doing. Let's loose the lables: republican, democrat, socialist, capitalist and just be citizens and take responsibility for ourselves and a few others.