COVID-19 impacted many people in various ways, including people applying for disability benefits. This included struggles at almost every level of the disability claims process. Some of these effects may continue long after the other effects of COVID-19 have already ended. Talk to a Pennsylvania delayed insurance benefits attorney to explore your legal options if your disability benefits were delayed or denied.
The impact of COVID-19 on disability benefits originated from the various changes the pandemic had on society. Not only did many people in general lose their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic, but people struggling with disabilities also lost their jobs. On top of that, people with disabilities struggled significantly more to find replacement income for unemployment. Financial strain grew as this continued during the height of the pandemic.
Part of this resulted from the obstacles to receiving disability benefits. Only a small portion of people with disabilities were able to acquire financial benefits while unemployed. This includes people who also applied for unemployment benefits but were denied financial help.
Even people with disabilities who were able to continue working worried about losing their income or job. Feel free to contact a Pennsylvania disability lawyer if you find yourself in a continued struggle to obtain disability benefits. An experienced lawyer can guide you through legal options if your disability claim is repeatedly delayed. Depending on different factors, a lawyer might be able to help you file an appeal.
There were also several effects of COVID-19 on disability claims through the Social Security Administration (SSA). The SSA Disability Determination Services was impacted in multiple ways by the pandemic. Even though fewer disability claims were reviewed, the time for processing disability claims was much longer.
This could be explained by several things that happened during the pandemic. Many Disability Determination Services workers left their job positions during the pandemic while many of the rest switched to remote work. Going from in-office to remote work required different adjustments that may have added to the processing times.
Not only that, but the SSA also updated rules and procedures for Disability Determination Services, meaning they also had to become familiar with these new steps. Some of these new steps were not clear. Many Disability Determination Services employees mixed up these new procedures with the field offices as a result, leading to delays in disability claim processing.
Consultative examinations, evaluations ordered by the SSA to hire a medical professional to determine whether someone has a disability, decreased during the pandemic. Due to health concerns related to the pandemic, the SSA did not allow in-person consultative examinations. Both medical professionals and disability claim applicants would also refuse to do in-person consultative exams.
Not receiving disability benefits can be stressful when you need financial support. Talk to a Pennsylvania bad faith claims lawyer if you find yourself struggling with delays or denials for your disability benefits. Feel free to call Edelstein & Nelson today at (800) 300-0909 for a consultation about your legal options. Our legal team is ready to explore ways to increase your chances of receiving disability benefits.