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The Social Security / SSI Process
The process of getting Social Security or SSI Disability can be difficult and lengthy for some. There are individual stages in the process, and at the end of each stage the applicant will receive a decision on their case. No stage can be skipped, and they must be followed in order. Some applicants will be approved at the first stage, while other applicacants will go through two or more stages. An approval is not guaranteed to any applicant, but our office can help make the process easier and the chances of approval better.
Here is a summary of the application and appeals process, broken down by stages:
| Initial Application: | The case is sent to the Disability Determination Division, where a trained doctor looks at medical records along with other evidence to determine if the individual is disabled. |
| Reconsideration: | The case is sent back to the same office, the Disability Determination Division, where a different doctor reviews the first determination and decides whether or not the determination was appropriate. |
| Hearing: | The case is sent to the Office of Disability Adjudication and Review, where a hearing is scheduled with an Administrative Law Judge. The claimant and representative appear before the judge to present the case. The judge decides whether or not the individul is disabled. |
| Appeals Council: | The case is sent to Falls Church, Virginia, where the judge's decision is reviewed for errors. If the decision contains errors that could change the outcome of the case, it is sent back to the hearing level for another hearing before the judge. |
| Federal District Court: | This is the only level of review that Disability Specialists, L.L.C. does not handle. Any of our cases that reach this level are sent to a lawyer that we recommend. The lawyer takes the case to Federal District Court where the judge's decision is again reviewed for errors. If the decision is found to contain errors that could change the outcome of the case, it is sent back to the hearing level. We take the case up again at the hearing level where another hearing is held and a new decision is made. |
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We specialize in Social Security / SSI disability throughout Oklahoma and Texas
