Social Security Disability in Oklahoma:  Apply, Lawyers and Information.

When applying for Social Security Disability in OK you have a few options.  You can call the SSA toll free number at 1-800-772-1213 and make an appointment at your local office or if you know were your local office is you can simply go down there and apply but if you make an appointment the wait is considerably shorter.  You can also apply on-line at the SSA website.  If you do not want to do it on your own you can get a lawyer or representative to help you and they will send in your application.  If you are applying for Supplemental Security Income you must do this in person at your local SSA office.  If you don't know which one you are trying to get it helps to know the difference in the two programs.  Social Security Disability or SSDI is based on the whether you have enough work credits that you earn when you pay your taxes through working.  Supplemental Security Income or SSI is a needs based program for the disabled.  You must have very little resources (income and savings) to qualify for this program.  Some people may qualify for both.  If you are unsure when you go for your appointment they will be able to tell what you qualify for.

One thing many people like to know is "what are my chances of winning"?  I will give you thepercentages for the first two stages of the process but it is important to remember that each SSDI and SSI case is different and these numbers are based on all the claims for the year 2007 and every year these numbers may go up or down.  In Oklahoma the percentage of cases won is 37.9% at application and 16.8% at reconsideration.  The denial rate is 62.1% at application and 83.2% at reconsideration.  Each of these stages of the process usually take from three to six months to get a decision but it is not unheard of to take a year.  You will want to do all you can to try and win at one of these stages of the process because as you will see in the last part of this page the time it takes to get a decision at hearing is substantially longer.  This is one good reason to get help with your claim from a lawyer or representative early in the process.  Many lawyers may tell you to wait until you are denied and then call them.  It is a good idea to get it right from the start.  So, if you are told this and want help then make sure to call another lawyer because many will take your case before you are denied.  When choosing an attorney you will want to find one who is familiar with Social Security Disability and devotes a good portion of their practice to this area.  In most situations in this area of law consultations are free and lawyers only get paid if they win your case.  Most lawyers charge 25% of past due benefits not to exceed $5,300.  In other words which ever is less of the two amounts.  You may be wondering if you need a lawyer or not.  This depends and is a personal decision.  Read all about Social Security Disability and what you have to prove to win your particular case.  If you feel you understand the laws and have the ability and time to make sure you can present a winning case then you may want to try it yourself.  If you are unsure or are too sick to put the time and energy into your claim then you may want to consider a lawyer.  The link just above is to my home page for this site.  On this website you will find a great deal of information for free you will probably not find anywhere else so take advantage of it.  You should also visit the SSA website.  It is a little more confusing but there is a lot of useful information there as well.