Complaints regarding the Social Security Disability benefits process continue to mount, with the news in recent weeks focusing on judges who approve nearly every case they come across. For a group of applicants in the New York area, however, the focus is on the opposite situation – administrative law judges and bureaucrats who act in a discriminatory manner in rejecting applicants with bona fide and well-documented disabilities. A Tulsa Social Security Disability lawyer can help those with disabilities file their claims for Social Security Disability benefits.
The New York lawsuit focuses on a particular office located in the borough of Queens. With the 10th-highest rejection rate in the country in 2011, the judges located at the office have developed a reputation for excessive harshness. Applicants have cried under harsh questioning from the judges, and some lawyers have advised their clients to rent a place in another New York borough to be able to apply for benefits through another office.
The class action lawsuit alleges discriminatory practices by most of the eight judges based in the Queens office. It alleges that the judges were particularly harsh towards non-native English speakers and those born outside of the United States. The lawsuit mentions multiple instances where the judges refused to believe medical evidence or to speak to an applicant’s doctor. For people concerned with their ability to receive Social Security Disability benefits, a Tulsa Social Security Disability attorney can advise applicants about the process.
