Social Security in the United States dates back to the mid 1930s when President Roosevelt made it an integral part of his “New Deal.†The primary motivation behind Social Security was the great depression where a high number of Americans were unemployed and those that were retired were living in what only could be called abject poverty. The intent of Social Security in Missouri was then and still is to ensure that workers who paid into the program will not fall below a threshold subsistence level.
Social Security provides an element of financial support for basically two groups of people; those that have reached the minimum retirement age and elect to retire and those that have yet to reach retirement age but suffer from a physical or mental disability. Getting retirement benefits is rarely a problem; it is a simple matter of applying and then waiting a few months for the monthly checks to begin. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for those who are applying for Social Security disability benefits. These applicants must provide a tremendous amount of supporting information and the rules, regulations and laws that apply are so complex that very few applicants understand them.
Of all the applicants for disability benefits under Social Security in Missouri about three quarters of them have their application denied. Although this is a disappointment to the applicant it is not the end of the line by far. Due to the complexity of what happens next most applicants turn to an attorney that is skilled and experienced in Social Security matters.
Although an applicant can request a reconsideration of his or her initial application rarely does this result in approval. If the application is denied a second time your attorney will request a hearing in the presence of a Social Security Administrative Law Judge. It is at this time the applicant gets his or her first and only opportunity to express and exhibit their disability and the extent of it. During the hearing it is possible to introduce additional evidence such as statements from members of the medical community or to draw upon the expertise of those involved in occupational and medical rehabilitation. In the greatest majority of cases the judge will find in favor of the applicant but, there are cases where the judge agrees with the original decision to deny benefits. In the event this happens there are further steps that can be taken by an attorney that deals with Social Security in Missouri.
Social Security in Missouri is a complicated area for those who are applying for disability benefits. For further information and a free case evaluation you are invited to contact the Grundy Disability Group.
