Vallejo, California is a city of 115,000 in the San Francisco Bay area. It has the dubious distinction of being the largest California city to file for bankruptcy. In the 1850s, shortly after California was admitted into the United States, it served two brief stints as the state capital.
One of the area’s major attractions (and the second largest employer) is the amusement park Six Flags Discovery Kingdom. Other significant employers in Vallejo include the Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, the Vallejo Public school system, Sutter Health Medical Center, the US Forestry Service, Petrochem, and Touro University, a college of osteopathic medicine.
Of Vallejo’s 66,000 adults of working age (21 through 64), 22.5% are disabled. Of these, fewer than 58% are able to find meaningful employment despite their disability. The incidence of disability is high compared to national averages, while the percentage of those who are able to work despite their disability is roughly average.
For those who live with a disability that hinders them from being able to work, Social Security Disability benefits ate often the best option. It should be noted, however, that qualifying for SSD benefits isn’t easy. To qualify, you need to prove (to the Social Security Administration’s standards) that you are completely incapable to perform any kind of work available in the entire country for which you could reasonably be trained due to a medically verifiable condition.
Proving that you are disabled generally includes being able to establish a medical record which clearly shows that you cannot be expected to perform the job requirements of any job you have ever performed before (especially those you’ve held during the past ten years) or for which a person of your educational level could reasonably be expected to train.
The process of applying for SSD benefits begins by contacting the Social Security Administration and informing them of your intent to file. It’s a good idea to inform the SSA of your intent to file even if you’re not sure if you’re going to file for benefits yet. Doing so establishes a protected filing date, which will later be used to determine the amount of back pay which is due to you.
Most disability claims are denied, at least the first time through. Often, this is because the medical documentation is not presented in terms of how your condition affects your ability to perform typical job functions. If your Social Security Disability claim is denied, you have the right to appeal the decision.
The appellate process for Social Security Disability claims involves several steps. First, you request a redetermination, in which a representative of the SSA will take another look at your claim, including any new evidence which you want to present. Next (if your redetermination is also denied), you can request a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge. This is the step during which most claims are accepted, and is the only time (short of federal court) where you will be able to stand before a flesh and blood person and make your case.
Apply for Vallejo Social Security Disability Benefits
Social Security Disability claimants should strongly consider consulting a Social Security attorney. Not only does it not cost you anything up front, but all of your attorney’s fees will be taken from any back pay which is due you. Your monthly benefit payments will not be affected, nor will you have to pay for your Social Security lawyer out of pocket.
Your chances of having your initial application for benefits approved double when you have professional representation. Additionally, a Social Security lawyer can improve your odds of being approved at any stage of the appeals process. Perhaps most importantly, your Social Security attorney can give you a good idea of whether you have a solid claim for disability benefits.
You can file a claim for SSD benefits at the following Social Security Administration office:
Suite A 106 Plaza Dr.
Vallejo, CA 94591
Your Vallejo Social Security Disability Claim
One thing you should never do when applying for Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income is stop seeing your doctor. The SSA puts a great deal of weight on whether you are receiving medical treatment and making an attempt at recovery. Failure to follow your physician’s orders (or failure to continue receiving medical treatment) could hinder your ability to receive SSD benefits.
If you are financially unable to continue with the medical treatment you had been receiving, or have been unable to begin receiving medical treatment due to lack of insurance and finances, visit one of these free or reduced cost clinics in the Vallejo area:
La Clinica Vallejo
243 Georgia St. Ste B
Vallejo, CA 94590
(707) 556-8100
La Clinica
North Vallejo
220 Hospital Dr.
Vallejo, CA 94589
Family Health Services
355 Tuolomne
St. Vallejo, CA 94590
(707) 553-5509
Your Vallejo Social Security Disability Claim
Regardless of which stage of the application or appeals process you are in, a Vallejo Social Security attorney can help ensure that your claim gets the fair consideration it deserves. Continue (or start) medical treatment, and make sure that your medical claims are stated in such a way as to demonstrate which physical and mental activities you are incapable of performing and how this affects your ability to hold a job.
