Of the 5 million residents in Virginia, approximately four percent receive monthly Social Security Disability payments. Each year, thousands of new Virginia Social Security Disability applicants submit claims to the Social Security Administration. Unfortunately, more than half of these initial applications are denied. These Virginia Social Security Disability applicants must then go on to file a Request for Reconsideration if they hope to overturn the SSA's decision to deny benefits, which is the first stage of the disability appeal process. Only about 15 percent of the applicants who file this request are approved at this stage of the appeal process. This means that the majority of Virginia Social Security Disability applicants must have their disability case heard by an Administrative Law Judge before being awarded the disability benefits they are rightfully entitled to.
The good news is that nearly two-thirds of disability applicants will be awarded benefits as a result of their disability hearing. The bad news is that it can take some Virginia Social Security Disability applicants more than a year and a half to be scheduled for a disability hearing before an Administrative Law Judge. In the State of Virginia, it can take anywhere from 272 to 579 days to obtain a disability hearing. It will then take another 45 to 90 days before you receive notice regarding the outcome of the hearing and whether or not the Administrative Law Judge decided in your favor.
Social Security's Office of Disability Adjudication and Review (ODAR) is the agency responsible for scheduling disability hearings for Social Security Disability applicants. Each state has multiple ODAR offices handling the caseload for that particular state. The area of Virginia that you live in will determine which ODAR office handles your disability case, and will also determine how long you must wait before obtaining a hearing before an ALJ. The locations of the Virginia ODAR offices and the Social Security field offices that each ODAR office serves are as follows:
- Charleston, West Virginia
- Charlottesville, Virginia
- Dover, Delaware
- Norfolk, Virginia
- Richmond, Virginia
- Roanoke, Virginia
- Washington D.C.
The Charleston ODAR office located in the State of West Virginia is responsible for scheduling the disability hearings for the Social Security field office in Covington, Virginia. It takes this office an average of thirteen months to schedule a disability hearing for a Virginia Social Security Disability applicant.
The Charlottesville ODAR office manages the disability hearings for the Charlottesville, Covington, Culpeper, Danville, Farmville, Harrisonburg, Lynchburg, Martinsville, South Boston and Staunton Social Security field offices. The average processing time for this office is 272 days.
The ODAR office located in Dover, Delaware is responsible for scheduling the disability hearings for the Social Security field office in Accomac, Virginia. It takes this office an average of eight months to schedule a disability hearing for a Virginia Social Security Disability applicant.
The Norfolk ODAR office services the Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk and Virginia Beach field offices. The average processing time for this office is 442 days.
The Richmond ODAR office serves the Chesterfield, Fredericksburg, Petersburg, Richmond Downtown, Richmond West, Richmond East and Winchester Social Security field offices. It takes this office an average of 352 days to schedule a disability hearing.
The Roanoke ODAR office schedules the disability hearings for the Bristol, Roanoke, Wise and Wytheville Social Security field offices. It takes this office an average of 368 days to schedule a disability hearing.
The ODAR office in Washington D.C. schedules the disability hearings for the Virginia Social Security field offices in Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax and Manassas. It takes this office an average of fifteen months to schedule a disability hearing.
Hiring a Virginia Social Security Disability Attorney
No one wants to wait a year or more before being approved for disability benefits – especially when finances are beginning to spiral out of control due to a lack of income. Because of this, many Virginia Social Security Disability applicants wonder if there is any way to avoid the lengthy disability appeal process. Unfortunately, the only way to avoid the stress of a disability appeal is to be awarded benefits during the initial stage of the Social Security Disability application process. Retaining the services of a qualified Virginia Social Security Disability lawyer may be the best way to accomplish this.
When working with a Virginia Social Security Disability attorney, your lawyer will review your claim for disability benefits with you. They will ensure that you have the medical evidence that is needed to prove your claim to the Social Security Administration and will help you prepare your claim in such a way that you will have the best possible chance of obtaining an approval during the initial stage of the application process. If, for some reason, your initial application for disability benefits is denied, your attorney will be able to represent you during your disability appeal and will be able to prepare you for your disability hearing.
If your initial application for disability benefits has been denied, you should speak with a Virginia Social Security Disability lawyer as soon as possible. You only have 60 days from the date you receive your notice of denial to appeal the SSA's decision. While you can technically represent yourself during the appeal process, your chances of actually receiving benefits are much greater if you go into the appeal process with qualified legal representation.
If you would like to learn more about hiring a Virginia Social Security Disability attorney, click here to receive a free evaluation of your Social Security Disability case.
