This year alone, South Carolina Social Security Disability applicants will file thousands of claims for disability benefits. These applicants often expect to be approved for benefits in a matter of months. Unfortunately, that is rarely the case. While the initial application process does only take three to four months to complete, the majority of initial disability claims are denied by the Social Security Administration. In fact, nearly 70 percent of disability applicants must endure the lengthy appeal process in order to obtain the disability benefits they may be rightfully entitled to.
In South Carolina, the first stage of appeal is called a Request for Reconsideration. Unfortunately, nearly 80 percent of these reconsideration requests are also denied by the Social Security Administration. In order for most South Carolina Social Security Disability applicants to obtain the disability benefits they need, they must appear before an Administrative Law Judge at a disability hearing.
While some states schedule disability hearings in a matter of months, South Carolina Social Security Disability applicants must wait a minimum of 338 days to be scheduled for a hearing before an ALJ. Depending on the area of South Carolina that you live in, it can take anywhere from 349 to 481 days to obtain a court date for your disability appeal. Then it takes another two to three months to be notified as to whether or not the Administrative Law Judge hearing your case decided in your favor. This means that many South Carolina Social Security Disability applicants wait nearly two years before being awarded the disability benefits that they are entitled to.
The Office of Disability Adjudication and Review (ODAR) is the Social Security agency that is responsible for scheduling disability hearings. The area that you live in determines which ODAR office handles your Social Security Disability case. The backlog of your local ODAR office is what determines how long you must wait to have your hearing scheduled. The ODAR offices that serve South Carolina Social Security Disability applicants are as follows:
- Charleston, South Carolina
- Charlotte, North Carolina
- Columbia, South Carolina
- Greenville, South Carolina
The ODAR office located in Charleston manages the disability hearings for the Social Security field offices in Beaufort, Charleston, Conway, Georgetown, Myrtle Beach, North Charleston and Walterboro. It takes this office an average of 481 days to schedule a disability hearing.
The ODAR office in Charlotte, North Carolina handles the disability hearings for the South Carolina Social Security field offices in Lancaster and Rock Hill. It takes this office an average of 338 days to schedule a disability hearing.
The ODAR office located in Columbia manages the disability hearings for the Social Security field offices in Aiken, Bennettsville, Camden, Columbia, Florence, Greenwood, Laurens, Orangeburg and Sumter. It takes this office an average of 476 days to schedule a disability hearing.
The ODAR office located in Greenville manages the disability hearings for the Social Security field offices in Anderson, Greenville and Spartanburg. It takes this office an average of 349 days to schedule a disability hearing.
Hiring a South Carolina Social Security Disability Attorney
Many South Carolina Social Security Disability applicants feel that the extensive wait times required for disability approval are unfair and unnecessary. These applicants wonder if there is any way to avoid the stress of the complicated disability appeal process. For most disability applicants, the only way to avoid an appeal is to be approved for benefits during the initial stage of the application process. Fortunately, hiring a South Carolina Social Security Disability attorney may increase your chances of a successful disability claim.
Statistics show that South Carolina Social Security Disability applicants who retain legal representation are more likely to be awarded disability benefits than those who choose to represent themselves. When you hire a South Carolina Social Security Disability lawyer, your lawyer will work with you to prepare your disability claim. He or she will assist you in answering the questions presented to you by the Social Security Administration and will aid you in gathering the medical evidence needed to support your disability claim. If your initial application is denied by the Social Security Administration, your South Carolina Social Security Disability attorney will help you through the disability appeal process, preparing you for your disability hearing.
The good news is that hiring a qualified South Carolina Social Security Disability attorney does not have to cause added financial stress. Social Security lawyers work on a contingency basis, collecting 25 percent of the back pay you are awarded (up to a limit of $6,000). If you do not win your disability case, your South Carolina Social Security Disability attorney does not collect a fee. Not only does this make hiring a lawyer affordable, but it also ensures that your attorney will do everything possible to win your case for you.
Click here if you would like to learn more about hiring a South Carolina Social Security Disability lawyer and to receive a free evaluation of your Social Security Disability case.
