Kentucky is home to millions of hard-working residents who pay taxes into the Social Security System from each paycheck they receive. When these residents are faced with a long-term or permanent disability, they assume that Social Security Disability benefits will be provided to them. Of the nearly three million residents who make Kentucky their home, approximately 7.3 percent receive Social Security Disability payments each month. This year, thousands more Kentucky residents will apply for disability benefits through the Social Security Administration. Unfortunately, approximately 70 percent of these applications will be denied. These applicants will then have to go on to appeal the SSA's decision to deny their disability application if they hope to receive disability benefits in the future.
The first stage of disability appeals is the Request for Reconsideration, however, very few applicants are approved during the first stage of appeal. In Kentucky, more than 90 percent of reconsideration requests are denied by the Social Security Administration. In order to obtain disability benefits, the majority of Kentucky Social Security Disability applicants must appear before an Administrative Law Judge at a disability hearing. Depending on the area of Kentucky in which you live, it can take anywhere from 262 to 484 days to be scheduled for a disability hearing.
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The reason it takes so long for Kentucky Social Security Disability applicants to obtain a hearing before an ALJ is that the offices responsible for scheduling these hearings (the Office of Disability Adjudication and Review, also known as ODAR) have a significant backlog of disability appeals to work through. The area of Kentucky that you live in is what determines which ODAR office handles your disability case and the backlog of cases being handled by that office will determine how long you must wait for your disability hearing to be scheduled. The ODAR offices responsible for scheduling the disability hearings for Kentucky Social Security Disability applicants are as follows:
- Lexington, Kentucky
- Louisville, Kentucky
- Middlesboro, Kentucky
- Paducah, Kentucky
The ODAR office located in Lexington is responsible for managing the disability hearings for the Social Security field offices located in Campbellsville, Danville, Frankfort, Hazard, Lexington, Maysville and Richmond. It takes this office an average of 358 days to schedule a disability hearing.
The Louisville ODAR office is responsible for scheduling the disability hearings for the Social Security field offices in Bowling Green, Elizabethtown, downtown Louisville, East Louisville and West Louisville. It takes this office an average of 457 days to schedule a disability hearing.
The Middlesboro ODAR office manages the disability hearings for the Social Security field offices in Corbin, Harlan, Middlesboro and Somerset. It takes this office an average of 262 days to schedule a hearing for Kentucky Social Security Disability applicants.
The Paducah ODAR office is responsible for scheduling the disability hearings for the Social Security field offices in Hopkinsville, Madisonville, Mayfield, Owensboro and Paducah. It takes this office an average of 484 days to schedule a disability hearing.
Hiring a Kentucky Social Security Disability Attorney
It is very understandable that the majority of Kentucky Social Security Disability applicants do not want to wait any longer than absolutely necessary before receiving the disability benefits they need. One of the best ways to improve your chances of avoiding the lengthy and complicated disability appeal process is by retaining the services of a qualified Kentucky Social Security Disability attorney. By working with a legal professional who is experienced in Kentucky Social Security Disability cases, you can ensure that you have the best chance of filing a successful disability application or, if necessary, a Social Security Disability appeal.
If your application for Social Security Disability benefits has been denied by the Social Security Administration, you should contact a Kentucky Social Security Disability lawyer as soon as possible. You only have 60 days from the date you receive the determination letter to appeal the SSA's decision to deny your disability benefits. While you can technically represent yourself through the disability appeal process, it is not necessarily in your best interest to do so. Statistics show that Kentucky Social Security Disability applicants are more likely to receive benefits when working with a qualified disability lawyer. Since you will likely wait more than a year before receiving your day in court, you should do everything in your power to ensure you have the best chance of obtaining a favorable hearing outcome.
Fortunately, you do not have to work hard to obtain good legal council. Kentucky Social Security Disability attorneys work on a contingency basis, collecting 25 percent of the back pay you are awarded by the Social Security Administration or $6,000 (whichever is less). If you are not awarded disability benefits, your lawyer does not collect a fee.
Click here if you would like to learn more about hiring a Kentucky Social Security Disability lawyer and to receive a free evaluation of your Social Security Disability case.
