If you suffer from a serious illness or injury, you might feel like your life is in limbo. It is the ultimate Catch-22, as you have to keep up with skyrocketing medical bills while struggling to get back to work. Fortunately, filing a disability claim in Ohio can help you get back on your feet.
Receiving disability benefits in Ohio can help you pay most, if not all of your healthcare costs, as well as the daily expenses you need to survive. Getting approval for Ohio disability benefits requires you to file a claim with the Social Security Administration (SSA).
Filing for Social Security Disability Benefits in Ohio
Answering the question, “How do I file a disability claim in Ohio” should start with understanding what you need to submit with your claim. You have to complete every section of the claim application. Otherwise, the SSA will dismiss your claim.
You also need to submit evidence that convinces a team of medical examiners at the SSA that you need financial assistance. The SSA refers to a medical guide called the Blue Book to determine eligibility for disability benefits. Not only must your medical condition list in the Blue, but you also have to suffer from the severe symptoms caused by your affliction.
The next step for filing for Social Security disability benefits in Ohio is knowing how to file your claim. Ohio has a remarkable 57 Social Security field offices where you can file a claim in person. Just make sure the field office located closest to you is open for business. The pandemic closed down all government buildings and many have not yet reopened their doors.
Ohio Disability Benefits Claim Statistics
Thirty-six percent of disability claims receive approval in Ohio, which is right at the national average for the percentage of claim approvals. This means almost two-thirds of Ohioans that file disability claims receive a denial letter in the mail.
The percentage is even lower for the first step of the appeals process called reconsideration. The SSA approves just 11 percent of reconsideration requests. The approval percentage for appeals held in front of an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) is much higher. The average hearing wait time for an ALJ hearing is 16 months.
What Happens When You Get Denied Disability in Ohio?
Since the odds are stacked against you when you file a Social Security disability claim, you should learn how the appeals process works. As the first step of the appeals process, reconsideration mirrors the process the SSA follows for reviewing initial claims. A team of medical examiners from the SSA reviews your appeal for reconsideration.
Although it should be a different team of medical examiners than the one that reviewed your initial claim, the SSA follows the same medical guidelines as outlined in the Blue Book. This means you have to submit more powerful medical evidence the second time around to boost your chances of gaining approval from the SSA.
The SSA or your Social Security lawyer might suggest that you undergo a Residual Functional Capacity (RFC) assessment before filing an appeal for reconsideration. An RFC assessment, which is conducted by a physician from the SSA, can demonstrate your inability to complete basic job functions.
Let’s say a claimant suffers from a type of cancer and chemotherapy treatments have left the claimant with a lack of stamina. An RFC assessment that includes stamina tests can confirm the debilitating side effects of chemotherapy treatments.
If you decide to file an appeal for reconsideration, you have 60 days from the day that you received the denial letter from the SSA to file your appeal. The SSA adds an extra five days to its calculation to account for the time it takes for the denial letter to arrive at your home.
Overturning a Social Security Disability Denied Claim in Ohio
Filing a disability claim requires the legal assistance of a Social Security attorney. A lawyer not only can help you with the initial claim, but also help you collect and organize the medical documents required to win an Ohio disability benefits appeal.
Because the appeal hearing is in front of an ALJ, you must have legal counsel by your side to handle every legal maneuver thrown your way.
Schedule a free case evaluation today with a Social Security attorney.
