Berkeley is a city of 112,500 in the San Francisco Bay area of California. Its closest neighboring cities are Emeryville, Albany, and Oakland. Berkeley is known primarily as a college town. Its most famous school, the University of California, Berkeley is the oldest campus of the University of California. Berkeley is also home to a national laboratory and to the Graduate Theological Union, a large multi-denominational seminary.
In the first half of the last century, the city developed a moderate amount of industrial activity, but most of this has died down over the last few decades. Today, the University of California is by far Berkeley’s largest employer. The University employs more than 14,400 people. The second largest employer, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, employs a little more than a fourth as many people. Other major employers include the Alta Bates Summit Medical Center, the City of Berkeley, the local school district, Bayer, Kaiser Permanente, and Andronico’s. Pacific Steel is the one major industrial employer in the area.
Berkeley is one of the most educated cities in the country, with a full 64% holding at least a four year college degree. Over a third of the city’s residents possess a graduate level degree.
Disability rates are low in Berkeley, compared with the rest of the country. Only 13.5% of Berkeley residents claim a disability of any kind. Of these, over 54% are employed, many of them by the University of California, Berkeley.
If you live in Berkeley and are unable to work because of a medically verifiable disability, you might qualify for Social Security Disability benefits. Many who are unable to continue working because of disabilities are able to maintain at least a modest income and standard of living because of Social Security programs such as SSI and SSDI.
If you are considering applying for Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income, you will want to get started as soon as possible. The process usually takes three months or longer (often much longer). You can get the process started by contacting the Social Security Administration and informing them that you intend to file for disability benefits. Doing so is in your best interest, even if you haven’t decided whether you will file yet. If you are eventually approved for SSD benefits, the amount of back pay will be calculated based on the date you notified the Social Security Administration of your intent to file.
Apply for Berkeley Social Security Disability Benefits
Unless you are familiar with the Social Security Administration’s policies and procedures, you should consult a Berkeley Social Security Disability attorney before you take the next step in the claims and appeals process.
In an ideal world, everyone would contact a Berkeley Social Security lawyer before filing their claims. Having a Berkeley disability attorney file your claim for you improves the odds that it will be approved dramatically. However, a Berkeley SSD attorney can still help you get approved for benefits, even if you’ve already filed your claim and received a denial.
More often than not, the difference between a Social Security Disability claim being approved and a claim being denied amounts to the way your disabling conditions are presented. Your Berkeley Social Security lawyer can work with your health care professional to ensure that your information is presented in the terms which the Social Security Administration needs to see before they will approve your claim.
To get started with your claim, contact one of the Social Security Offices listed below. Then, call a Berkeley Social Security lawyer.
Social Security Administration
560 Kearny St.
San Francisco, CA
Social Security Administration
301 Howard St.
San Francisco, CA
(415) 744-3080
Social Security Administration
1111 Civic Dr. #180
Walnut Creek, CA
(800) 772-1213
Berkeley Social Security Disability Resources
While you are in the process of applying for SSD benefits, it is critical that you continue to see your doctor or health care professional. Besides the fact that it’s important to your health, it could make or break your claim. One of the main things the SSA is looking for is whether you are following your doctor’s orders. If you aren’t, you are less likely to be approved for disability benefits.
If you are unable to continue seeing your doctor for financial reasons, visit one of the free health clinics listed below:
City of Berkeley DOH
1947 Center St.
Berkeley, CA
(510) 981-5300
Berkeley Primary Care
2001 Dwight Way
Berkeley, CA
(510) 204-4666
Your Berkeley Social Security Disability Claim
Consult a Berkeley Social Security Disability lawyer if you have questions about the viability of your SSD claim or if you need representation for your claim or appeal.
The process of applying for Social Security Disability benefits can be long and frustrating. Having a knowledgeable Berkeley Social Security attorney can help make the process go more smoothly.
