As a Texas Social Security disability attorney, I always thought that the role of government was to look out for and protect those citizens who need it the most. Last year something happened that changed my mind.
The Wall Street Journal ran a story on an administrative law judge (ALJ) in West Virginia who approves people for benefits the vast majority of the time. Almost immediately, both Democrats and Republicans were calling for “reviews” and “related monitoring” of ALJs to make sure that everyone was following the proper procedures.
- They even wrote a letter to the SSA Office of Inspector General (OIG) saying they were “concerned about … SSA’s management oversight.” In particular, they want the OIG to:
- Tell them which ALJs are outliers in terms of their decisions and productivity.
- Look at how ALJs mentioned in the article got their cases, whether hearings were held, and what accounted for the results.
- Determine how effective SSA management is at keeping ALJs in check and see what they can do to increase this effectiveness.
- Assess the effectiveness of the SSA’s quality review program for ALJ decisions.
Toe the Line or We Will Make You
The ridiculous part in all of it is the automatic assumption that this ALJ must have been running some sort of scheme or something. Must be too difficult to imagine that there could be so many people out there in need of help.
Except that every disability attorney has worked with clients who clearly deserved benefits but were repeatedly denied until they finally got representation and worked the system the right way. If you’d like to set up a free consultation with an attorney, we’re always happy to help.
For a free legal consultation, call 800-562-9830
How Does This Affect Your Claim?
What does this mean for people applying for Texas Social Security disability benefits?
That judges have less leeway than before. Because of this, it’s more important than ever to follow proper procedure in terms of filling out paperwork, providing records, and sticking to deadlines. Because of the complex nature of the claims process, it’s in your best interest to work with a successful Social Security disability attorney who knows how the system works and can make sure that all the T’s are crossed and the I’s are dotted.
Call or text 800-562-9830 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
