South Carolina ALJ Statistics

by admin on April 30, 2013

in Uncategorized

The majority of my cases are in the Columbia, SC Social Security office, though I also have many in the Charleston office. The Pee Dee Region is predominantly handled by one of those two offices.

According to disabilityjudges.com, the average hearing wait time for the Columbia office is now 14 months from the date you request a hearing (not the date you initially apply)>. That is actually faster than it has been for the past few years. Greenville and Charleston are a little faster at 12 months.

The website also has the approval ratings of specific judges. Each judge has a different approval rating. That means that some judges approve more or less cases than others. There is no way to control the judge you are assigned. One of the things that is important to me is preparing your case for the specific judge assigned to hear the case. Each judge has a different way they want information prepared, and we work hard to make sure that you are properly prepared before you step foot in the hearing room.

Currently, the Columbia office has 5339 cases pending and EIGHT judges. You can see why it is such a long process when you see how many cases one office is processing!

{ Comments on this entry are closed }

US Representative Jim Clyburn highlighted this issue at the opening of a new clinic near Hilton Head according to an article by SC Now.

I think this is a huge problem facing citizens and residents of the Pee Dee. In Florence County, we are TRULY blessed to have Hope Health. So many of my clients are now able to receive routine, basic health care that they were not receiving before. They are able to establish themselves as a patient, get medication refills, and they receive quality health care. As an attorney, I can actually see the difference in a client’s health once they are receiving regular health care.

Unfortunately, my clients in the outlying rural counties still struggle. Their only real options are paying cash (Which is difficult when unemployed and out of work) or the emergency room.

Your Social Security case depends on medical evidence. We have a list of free and reduced clinics around the state and encourage you to utilize every bit of health care you can. We are continually researching options available for clients. There are also prescription drug programs through the drug manufacturers that you can apply for if you can not afford the medication.

There are also some steps that we can take as your attorney to request a consultative evaluation through the Social Security Administration. Those exams are not guaranteed, but when the judge will agree to order one, it at least helps us establish the medical problems and diagnosis.

I encourage clients that are NOT getting the health care they need to call me immediately so we can discuss the options available. It will benefit your health now, and also helpt the ALJ to determine if you are disabled and unable to work.

{ Comments on this entry are closed }

Wonderful News!

April 5, 2013

Social Security has done away with the “Secret ALJ Rule”. This rule kept representatives from knowing who the ALJ would be– sometimes until we walked in the hearing room. There were many reasons that I disliked this rule, but primarily because I could not adequately prepare my clients for what to expect from the ALJ. [...]

Read the full article →

Free Medical Treatment in Columbia this weekend

August 16, 2012

So many of my clients would benefit from this! There will be free medical treatment at the State Fairgrounds this weekend. What is sad– is the number of people expected. They expect it to overwhelm the workers. That is because so many people can’t afford adequate healthcare. The dental cleanings is truly an added benefit! [...]

Read the full article →

Alternative therapies and medicine

August 2, 2012

I’m fascinated by this article about alternative therapies. While the Social Security administration doesn’t put much credence in alternative therapies, this article shows how the medical community is beginning to embrace alternative therapies. These statistics are fascinating: At Regional’s three-year-old Center for Health and Healing, clients attend an eight-week mind-body program to learn proper breathing, [...]

Read the full article →

DLAC seeking complaints about Goodwill

July 18, 2012

Disability Law & Advocacy Center of Tennessee, a non-profit legal center advocating for the rights of Tennesseans with disabilities, together with the national civil rights law firm Goldstein, Demchak, Baller, Borgen & Dardarian are investigating complaints of discrimination against shoppers with service animals at Goodwill stores across the United States. In particular, we are investigating [...]

Read the full article →

Sedentary jobs and your back

June 22, 2012

Sitting all day at a desk can be bad for you physically. I was on the Washington University School of Medicine Web Site and found this “At your desk Exercise Manager.” I have it on my computer and so far and am enjoying it. It reminds me to stretch at certain intervals throughout the work [...]

Read the full article →

Complicated cases

June 13, 2012

I just received notice of award in what was a very complicated case. My client, his family and I have worked together very closely for the past two years. His case was actually approved by an attorney with the Social Security Administration and after much conversation and research we made the choice to proceed to [...]

Read the full article →

“Deciding when to take Social Security”

June 12, 2012

Although this question is outside of the scope of what I deal with, Reginald Armstrong of Armstrong Wealth Management in Florence just wrote an excellent blog post on the topic. Make sure you click over to his site and read what he has to say.

Read the full article →

Job Opportunity– specifically mentions “disabled individual”

May 29, 2012

DARLINGTON COUNTY, SC (WMBF) Are you looking for a relaxing and enjoyable part-time job? The Parks and Recreation Department in Darlington County is looking for caretaker and ranger for Lake Darpo. The individual hoping to fill that position will live in the park in the caretaker residence in order to meet the position’s requirements. The [...]

Read the full article →

Parse error: syntax error, unexpected T_STRING in /home/rchewning/htdocs/wp-content/themes/thesis_16/footer.php on line 7