If you have become physically or psychologically disabled on a temporary or permanent basis, you may qualify to receive Social Security Disability Insurance. Administered by the Social Security Administration, this program is funded by your payroll taxes and is not a handout from the government. If you have a qualifying disability, you and your family may be entitled to receive disability benefits.
Social Security Disability in Bethlehem, PA
To begin receiving “SSD” benefits, you must apply to both the federal Social Security Administration and your local Pennsylvania Disability Determination Office. The application process is complex, confusing and often discouraging. Since the Social Security Administration occasionally makes changes to the eligibility requirements for SSD recipients, you may increase your chances of gaining approval on your first application for benefits by retaining a competent Bethlehem SSD attorney to handle your case.
Your eligibility for SSD benefits is dependent upon several factors. For starters, you must not be eligible to draw retirement benefits through the Social Security Administration. You must be within a certain age range. You must also have have built up a certain number of “work credits” to prove that you have contributed a certain amount of money into the SSD fund. In addition, you will have to prove that your condition will either result in death or persist unchanged for at least 12 consecutive months. Keeping all of these disparate factors straight can be a daunting task.
The Bethlehem, PA Social Security Field Office
Your local Social Security field office can help you with several things, including filing an application for social security disability benefits, obtaining a social security card, getting a replacement for a lost or stolen card, or setting up direct deposit for your benefits. The field office for Bethlehem, Pennsylvania is:
SOCIAL SECURITY 555, MAIN ST BETHLEHEM, PA 18018
You can also reach the Reading Social Security office by phone at: 1-866-783-7458. The field office is open Monday through Friday from 9:00am until 3:00pm.
The Bethlehem, PA Social Security Hearing Office
The Social Security Hearing Office is located in Elkins Park, PA. The address is:
SSA, Office of Disability Adjudication and Review
Suite 250, 8380 Old York Road,
Elkins Park, Pennsylvania 19027
You can reach the office by phone at (866) 964-7369 or by fax at (215) 887-0541.
The hearing office is open Monday through Friday, from 8:00am until 4:30pm.
The Administrative Law Judges for Bethlehem, PA
For Bethlehem cases that are heard in the Elkins Park Hearing Office, your social security hearing will go before one of twelve Administrative Law Judges (ALJs). The Administrative Law Judges who may hear your SSD case are:
| Davidson, Joseph | De Bernardis, Craig |
| Garrett, James | Garrety, Paula |
| Gehring, John F | Mande, Deborah |
| Newberger, Mark D | Oliver, Henry |
| Rubini, Daniel L | Spitz, Gerald J |
| Strauss, Suanne S | Yatron, George C |
Contacting a Bethlehem SSD Attorney
You should not try to navigate this process alone. By retaining an experienced Bethlehem SSD attorney, you will gain access to a deep well of legal knowledge about the general process of applying for Social Security Disability benefits. You will also equip yourself to deal with the pitfalls of applying for these benefits in Pennsylvania. The highly effective team of lawyers at Chermol & Fishman LLC has a thorough understanding of the ins and outs of Pennsylvania Disability Determination Services’s approval process.
Unfortunately, the state and federal agencies responsible for reviewing and green-lighting your petition for benefits adhere to stringent systems and rigorous procedures. The entire Social Security Disability application process is rife with onerous requirements. Your Bethlehem SSD attorney can ensure that you meet all filing deadlines and documentation requirements. He or she can organize the medical records, tax returns, work history information and other documents crucial to the application and appeals processes. From start to finish, your attorney will fight aggressively on your behalf and take the time to explain the status of your case in easy-to-understand terms.
Supporting Your Family Through Disability
The legal professionals at Chermol & Fishman LLC can accommodate virtually any SSD application. If you wish to ensure that your spouse, children or grandchildren benefit from your disability, your Bethlehem Social Security Disability attorney can explain whether they qualify for inclusion on your application. If they can be included, your attorney will fight just as hard for their rights as for yours. After all, the compassionate attorneys who staff the Chermol & Fishman LLC team understand that many families rely on SSD benefits for financial support.
