AROUND 53 PERCENT OF DISABILITY CLAIMS WILL BE DENIED

The United States Social Security Administration, through the Office of Retirement and Disability Policy, puts out annual reports about the amount of claims that are approved or denied every year. Looking at the numbers for any of these reports can give you a good idea of the sheer odds of having your claim turned down.

For example, in the report that came out in 2010, it was noted that roughly 53 percent of the claims had been denied. This was for the previous decade, running from the beginning of 2000 to the end of 2009.

Furthermore, claims were altered for many people before they were approved. Only 28 percent of the people — on average — got the amount that was initially put into the claim. That average saw a bottom of just 26 percent, but it also saw a high over the ten years of 37 percent.

On the whole, only an average of 45 percent were approved. There are some “lost” numbers in there, as 45 and 53 do not make up 100 percent, but that is because some cases were still pending at the time of the report. However, no matter how many pending cases go through, this still means that the majority of the cases are going to be denied, not approved.

As you can see, getting your disability benefits can be difficult in California, and the odds are against you. That is why you must know what legal options you have if you think that your claim has been wrongfully denied and you want to fight against the decision to get your benefits.

Source: SSA, “Annual Statistical Report on the Social Security Disability Insurance Program, 2010” accessed Feb. 04, 2015