 SSDRC Filing an Application for Disability Benefits How do you win disability benefits? If I am determined disabled, how far back will Social Security pay benefits? How do you prove your disability case if you have a mental condition? What Can I Do to Improve My Chances of Winning Disability Benefits Common Mistakes after Receiving a Denial of benefits How to File for Disability - Tips for Filing If You Get Approved For SSDI Will You Also Get Medicare? Social Security Disability--Permanent Disability Social Security Disability SSI Criteria and the Evaluation Process How long does it take to be approved for SSI or Social Security disability? Qualifying: What do you Need to Prove to Qualify for Disability? Applying for disability for Fibromyalgia Filing for disability with Degenerative Disc Disease Can I Qualify For Disability on the basis of Depression? Answers to questions about SSD and SSI disability What Disabilities Qualify for SSI and Social Security Disability Benefits? Social Security Disability Status |
Hiring a Qualified Disability Lawyer in OhioHow to prove you are disabled and win disability benefits Claimants who are represented on disability claims in Ohio tend to have a higher rate of approval, a need for fewer appeals, and more favorable "dates of onset" (the date the disability is proven to have begun) that lead to higher back pay benefits. Representation may be through a disability lawyer or a specialized non-attorney disability representative. Many non-attorney reps are former Social Security Administration Claims Specialists and Disability Examiners with an extended history of working from within the federal system. A qualified disability representative will have a knowledge of Social Security administrative law, particularly with regard to how claims are approved through the Social Security listings and the medical vocational grid rules. A qualified and competent disability representative or lawyer will also be skilled in the ability to obtain the most relevant case evidence, analyze it correctly, and incorporate it as part of a winning strategy for a claim. To learn about fees for representation, see: "How do disability lawyers get paid?" Additional information While it is difficult for anyone, in any state, to win benefits from social security disability (SSD) or supplemental security income (SSI) benefits, people filing for disability benefits in Ohio are even less likely to win their case than most people across the country. In recent years, 71.1% of SSD and SSI disability claims filed in Ohio were denied by the state disability determination services agency upon initial application (when they were first filed). In 9 out of 10 of those cases in which the claimant appealed the decision of the state disability examiner (also called a request for review or reconsideration), DDS upheld the denial. This number is also above the national average denial rate. This means that the vast majority of disability applicants set about the task of qualifying for SSI benefits or SSD benefits in Ohio will get no relief from their state disability determination services agency, and will be forced to file a second appeal. This is actually not an entirely bad thing—In Ohio your chances of winning a social security disability approval from a federal administrative law judge (ALJ) are much better than they are within the state disability agency. About 40 percent of all cases heard before an ALJ are approved, which is pretty good when compared to your chances at the first two levels of consideration (see above). However, disability applicants in Ohio are strongly advised to retain a disability attorney or non-attorney rep to represent them before the disability judge, because studies have repeatedly shown that having legal representation may significantly enhance the opportunity to Receive an Approval for Social Security Disability in Ohio. A disability lawyer or non-attorney claimant representative (non-attorney reps are often former employees of the social security administration [SSA] who know the disability determination process inside out) will help you present the best and most winning argument for benefits at this last (most favorable) level of appeal. ALJs tend to be, for whatever reason, more receptive to arguments when they are presented by a lawyer rather than the disability claimant. Individuals who use a lawyer typically have more than a 60 percent chance of being approved for SSD or SSI benefits, the first (and last) time throughout the entire disability determination process when the odds actually favor the claimant. 
Return to: SSDRC, or the Questions, Answers, Tips, and Advice page Questions and Answers about Social Security Disability and SSI Disability SSD and SSI are Federal Programs The title II Social Security Disability and title 16 SSI Disability programs operate under federal guidelines and, therefore, the program requirements--medical and non-medical--apply to all states: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming Recent approval and denial statistics for various states can be viewed here: Social Security Disability, SSI Approval and Denial Statistics by state Special Section: Tips and Advice for Social Security Disability and SSI Claims |