If you live in the state of Mississippi you may file an application for disability benefits in that state. Most states provide disability benefits to applicants who are eligible and fit certain strict criteria. There are several requirements that need to be met including the disability being in the Social Security Administration (SSA) Blue Book listings.
If your disability has an exact match in the Blue Book list you should have no problem getting disability benefits. If your disability doesn’t match an exact listing the SSA may request you take part in a Residual Functional Capacity (RFC) assessment performed by your physician. The results of this assessment help a decision to be made as to whether you are physically and mentally able to go out to work.
Social Security Disability Benefits in Mississippi
The Disability Determination Services (DDS) office in Mississippi is responsible for making a decision for disability benefits claims. The following information is used:
- an assessment of the applicant’s present medical status and medical records;
- the applicant’s detailed account of the restrictions caused by their disability;
- medical and psychological reports provided by the applicant’s physician;
- an ongoing appraisal of the disability.
In Mississippi and in other US states, to qualify for the Social Security Disability benefits (SSDI program), you need to have been employed for a certain number of years where you paid Social Security taxes (FICA) and built up sufficient work credits. If you haven't worked for long enough when the disability occurred and your income and assets fall below a certain threshold you may be informed that you are entitled to lodge an application for Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
When submitting a social security disability benefits claim in Mississippi it comes under the federal government through the Social Security Administration (SSA). The Disability Determination Service (DDS) makes the initial decision about your disability benefits claim in Mississippi. You may lodge your claim for disability benefits at field offices spread across the state.
The Cities Where Field offices Are in Mississippi
In Mississippi, you can find SSA field offices in these cites:
Biloxi, Brookhaven, Clarksdale, Cleveland, Columbus, Corinth, Forest, Greenville, Greenwood, Grenada, Gulfport, Hattiesburg, Jackson, Kosciusko, Laurel, McComb, Meridian, Moss Point, Natchez, Olive Branch, Philadelphia, Starkville, Tupelo, and Vicksburg.
Mississippi Disability Statistics
In Mississippi 33.5 percent of adults have some kind of disability compared to the national average of 25.6 percent. This doesn’t mean that all are in receipt of disability benefits.
In Mississippi the success rate for winning a disability benefits claim is between 30 and 35 percent. For claims that are denied at the 1st appeal hearing stage, the reconsideration stage, it is just 5.7 percent. At the appeals hearing stage 49 percent of applicants are approved compared to 45 percent nationally.
Appealing Denied Social Security in Mississippi
In Mississippi, when the reconsideration of a case is denied then an appeals hearing may be granted by the SSA and this is when the case is heard by an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ). So if you were recently denied Social Security disability benefits or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) in Mississippi you may be in a position to request an appeals hearing. Usually, you are given 60 days after receiving your decision notice to file the appeal.
The Office of Disability Adjudication and Review (ODAR), holds SSDI hearings and SSI hearings in 3 different office locations throughout Mississippi. Presently, in Mississippi, the average wait time for a SSI or SSDI hearing is 10.7 months. The average case processing time in Mississippi is 375 days. The Mississippi average for winning a disability hearing is 44 percent.
Help Filing for Disability Benefits in Mississippi
It is not a simple procedure filing for disability benefits in Mississippi as there are so many factors associated with your disability claim that have to be appraised and approved before you have any chance of being awarded disability benefits.
A disability lawyer may be able to help you win your disability benefits entitlements in Mississippi and can put in as much effort as is required to win a disability claim on your behalf so that an appeals hearing can be avoided. However, if your claim is denied at the initial application stage and you file an appeal the disability lawyer can help win an appeal in this often long and drawn-out process so that you get the disability benefits you are entitled to receive.
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