Pittsburgh is the county seat of Allegheny County and second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the 22nd largest urban area in the USA with a population of 305,704. Downtown Pittsburgh has a strong economic influence and is ranked as the 25th most important in the nation in terms of jobs and job density. The central business district of Pittsburgh is a triangular tract at the Ohio River formed by the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers. This city is also known as the City of Bridges and the Steel City.
The population of the state of Pennsylvania in 2010 was 12,702,379. Only 2.9% of this number received social security benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA) in that year. This is equal to 372,365 individuals receiving benefits from either Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
Anyone can see that 2.9% is a very low percentage of the population. Not all who apply for disability benefits get approved. For you to be a part of that small percentage of people receiving disability benefits, you need to present complete documents stating your disability and how long it has stopped you from working. Your condition must be on the SSA’s list of disabilities for you to qualify and you should have been rendered incapable of working for at least a year. You can apply for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) if you have previously paid Social Security tax in the form of a FICA deduction during your previous job. The Supplemental Security Income (SSI) does not have this requirement. Instead, it depends on your assets and net worth.
Apply for Pittsburgh Social Security Disability Benefits
Applying for Social Security Disability benefits can be a complicated process. If you don’t have a disability lawyer advising you about the disability application process and filing the papers for you, you will be doing this on your own. Without an attorney, the chance of you getting the documents out of order or filing improper medical documents is high. The Pittsburgh disability attorney can take care of your medical forms and application so that it will be filed correctly. It is your Pittsburgh disability lawyer’s job to educate you about the process and be your legal representative before the judge in case your application gets denied and you need to go to appeals.
If you did not hire a Pittsburgh social security attorney when you sent in your initial application and you were denied, you should get legal representation now. You need to file your motion for Reconsideration or Disability Hearing within 60 days of receiving a rejection letter. If your case goes to a hearing you will need a Pittsburgh disability lawyer because he or she will prepare you for your testimony before the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ). It is important to have a lawyer at this stage because the rate of rejection at the reconsideration stage is 90%. However, at the hearing stage more than 60% of the applications are approved. By hiring an attorney you will increase your odds of getting disability benefits. You can file your Pittsburgh Social Security application at the local office below:
Pittsburgh Social Security
921 Penn Ave
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Pittsburgh Social Security Disability Resources
As an unemployed individual, you will find it hard to seek medical attention especially when your regular salary has been cut off. But since you need medical documentation to support your benefits claim, this step must be done.
To get medical attention without it costing much, you can go to any of the following clinics below that offer free or reduced cost in their consultation fees and services.
Howard Hanna Childrens Free Care Fund
119 Gamma Dr
Pittsburgh, PA 15238
(412)967-9000
Squirrel Hill Health Center
200 Jhf Drive Lower Level
Pittsburgh, PA 15217
412-422-7442
Salvation Army North Side
100 W. North Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15212
412-321-3429
Salvation Army Harbor Light
865 W. North Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15233
412-321-3439
Primary Care Health Services Inc.
7227 Hamilton Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15208
412-244-4970
Your Pittsburgh Disability Claim
Your goal of getting disability benefits will be easier to achieve if you have the guidance of someone who knows what to do. Hiring a Pittsburgh disability lawyer is the right thing to do if you want your application to go smoothly. The disability attorney will make sure that you get continued medical attention and give you an idea of the chances of winning your case. At the start of your application, the disability attorney will also help you understand the application process.
It will not cost you much to get started with a Pittsburgh disability lawyer. A Social Security Disability attorney will not be paid until your claim had been approved, and the initial consultation is free. If you want to have your case evaluated and to know more about the process of hiring a Pittsburgh disability lawyer, click here.
