Among the questions asked to Greeman Toomey attorneys and staff, the most frequent one is “how am I supposed to survive until my hearing?”
Unfortunately the average wait time for a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge is 12-15 months from the date of your appeal.
If a claimant receives unfavorable decisions at the Initial and Reconsideration phase of the Social Security disability claim, which the majority of applicants do, the next step is to request a hearing before an ALJ.
When faced with the reality of waiting 12-15 months for a hearing, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security (SSI) claimants ask “How am I supposed to survive until my hearing?”
Those who are claiming to be unable to work, or work at a full-time level, can easily run into financial stress without the ability to bring home a paycheck. Unless someone has a spouse or relative that can pay the bills, pay the rent and put food on the table while you are waiting 12-15 months for a hearing, the next question is “where do I turn for financial help?”
Unfortunately there is no simple answer to that question. Housing and financial assistance is limited, but here are a few suggestions that might ease the financial burden when waiting for a Social Security disability hearing.
- Contact your county to see what services you may be eligible for. If you are unable to treat for your conditions because you don’t have health insurance you may be qualify for medical assistance so you can see doctors and get help paying for prescriptions. You might qualify for food assistance.
- Reach out to local charities. One good resource for this is the United Way, which can connect people to more than 40,000 different resources by simply calling 211 or visiting https://www.unitedwaytwincities.org/get_help/. Most communities also have local food shelves that will provide food assistance to those who need it.
- Many people applying for Social Security disability are unable to work at all, but others may be able to work on a limited basis. Under most circumstances, Social Security allows people to work and earn up to $1,010 (GROSS INCOME BEFORE TAXES) per month and still meet the technical requirements for disability. This might provide enough income to make ends meet.
- If all else fails and you are already waiting for a hearing to be scheduled there is the option of asking Social Security to expedite your case. This means you are asking Social Security to move you ahead of other people who may also be facing financial distress. To be considered, Social Security will look at your ability to provide food, medicine and shelter for yourself.
