There are approximately 3.6 million residents living in the State of Missouri. Of these residents, approximately 5.4 percent receive disability benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA). This year alone, there will be thousands of new Missouri Social Security Disability claims. If history is any indication of future approval rates, the SSA will deny nearly 70 percent of the new applications it receives. To make matters worse, more than 80 percent of applicants will also be denied during the first stage of the disability appeal process.

In Maryland, nearly seventy percent of the disability claims received by the SSA will be denied during the initial stage of the application process. This means that about two-thirds of the applicants who apply for disability benefits in Maryland will need to pursue the lengthy and complicated disability appeal process in order to obtain the benefits they may be rightfully entitled to. The majority of applicants must undergo a disability hearing before an administrative law judge in order to obtain the disability benefits they need.

More than 3 million people live in the State of Colorado. Of these three million residents, approximately 2.8 percent receive monthly disability benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA). Each year, thousands of new Colorado Social Security Disability applicants will submit new disability claims to the SSA. Unfortunately, nearly 70 percent of these claims will be denied. These applicants will then need to undergo the lengthy and complicated disability appeal process in order to obtain the benefits they may be entitled to.

Approximately 4.8 percent of the more than six million residents living in the State of Michigan receive Social Security Disability benefits. There are approximately 50,000 more Michigan residents backlogged in the Social Security system waiting for a decision on their Social Security Disability claims. This is largely due to the fact that the majority of Michigan Social Security Disability applications are denied during the initial stage of the application process. In fact, approximately 65 percent of initial disability claims are denied by the Michigan Social Security offices.

The United States Social Security Administration (SSA) provides disability benefits to American Citizens living in any one of the 50 states or U.S. Territories. The SSA has 10 regional headquarters and each regional headquarters is responsible for the disability claims filed in the states within its jurisdiction.

Indiana is home to nearly four million residents. Of these four million residents, approximately 4.6 percent receive Social Security Disability benefits. Each year, thousands more will apply for disability benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA) in the State of Indiana. Unfortunately, nearly 70 percent of initial disability applications are denied.

There are more than 8 million residents in the State of Illinois. Of these residents, approximately 3.5 percent receive Social Security Disability benefits. There will be thousands of new Illinois Social Security Disability applications this year alone. Of these applications, approximately 70 percent will be denied by the Social Security Administration (SSA). Unfortunately, the majority of first appeals will be denied as well.

There are currently more than 300,000 North Carolina residents receiving Social Security Disability benefits. While the initial stage of the application process only takes three to four months to complete, most North Carolina Social Security Disability recipients wait a year or more before receiving their first disability payment. This is due to the fact the most cases are approved until the hearing stage. It can take a North Carolina Social Security Disability applicant anywhere from 338 to 548 days to be scheduled for a disability hearing.

Each and every year, thousands of Ohio Social Security Disability applicants submit their disability applications to the Social Security Administration expecting to be approved for benefits in a matter of months. Unfortunately, nearly three-fourths of these applicants are denied at the initial stage of the application process and even more are denied at the initial reconsideration stage of appeals and have to request a hearing.

Of the 5 million residents in Virginia, approximately four percent receive monthly Social Security Disability payments. Each year, thousands of new Virginia Social Security Disability applicants submit claims to the Social Security Administration. Unfortunately, more than half of these initial applications are denied.