If you are applying for Supplemental Security Income you should apply in person by calling 1-800-772-1213 and making an appointment at your local SSA office. If you are applying for Social Security Disability in Kentucky then you can do the above but you can also file an application on-line at the SSA website. You can also contact a lawyer or representative and they will help you apply and send in your information. If you are looking for a lawyer to help you apply or at any other stage of the process you can click on the link below. Just simply fill out the form and note whether you are looking for a local lawyer or my firm to represent you. I will get back to you ASAP usually within 2 days.

Many of you will want to know what are your chances of winning. Every case is unique no one can tell you for sure but I am providing you with some statistics from the year 2006 of denial rates at application and reconsideration for KY. The denial rate at application is 69.7% and at the reconsideration stage is 90.9%.  So that means only 30.1% of the cases won at the initial stage and only 9.3% won at the second stage in 2006.  As you can see the percentage off cases that win at the initial stage is much greater than at the second stage. For many cases it is advisable to get a lawyer early in the process. I say this because it can take from 3-6 months to get a decision at each of these stages. If you lose at each of these stages the wait for a hearing can be substantially longer. So you will want to better your chances of winning your claim right from the start. If you decide to do it alone or even if you have a lawyer it would be a good idea to read the rest of this website so that you understand how SSA decides if you are disabled. You will also find some useful tips on how to win your Social Security Disability claim.

Most lawyers charge 25% of past due benefits not to exceed $5,300. They only get paid if you win your case and it is the lesser of the two amounts.

As mentioned earlier when you are denied at the reconsideration stage and in some states at the application stage you then request a hearing. Your case is then sent to one of the below ODARs in KY also known as hearing offices. After a long wait you will get a hearing before an administrative law judge or ALJ. At these hearings there will sometimes be a medical expert and or vocational expert. The ALJ and your lawyer if you have one will ask you questions and the ME and VE questions. To get a detailed description of what happens at the SSDI hearing click on the link to my page on the subject.