People living in northwest Arkansas in the area of Bentonville, Springdale, and Fayetteville know that our residents and citizens are hard workers regardless of their craft, trade, or profession. However even dedicated professionals who take care of themselves can suffer through an event that makes the simple tasks of life difficult to complete. The event can include the development of a serious disease or degenerative condition. Alternatively, the workers could have suffered an injury that makes performing work difficult or impossible. Finally even workers not affected by a disease or particular injury event can slowly “wear-out.”
Fayetteville AR disability lawyer Ken Kieklak is dedicated to fighting for hard-working Arkansans forced to stop doing the work that they love due to an injury or impairment. He can help you collect evidence, present your injuries and impairments to claims examiner or administrative law judge, and file an appeal if your claim is rejected. Ken understands the SSDI and SSI systems and the types of evidence that can bolster your claim. To schedule a free consultation call the Law Practice of Ken Kieklak at (479) 316-0438 today.
Disability Benefits in Arkansas
Arkansas makes up a relatively small percentage of the total SSDI and SSI benefits awards granted nationwide. According to 2013 disability statistics provided by the Social Security Administration, there are nearly 9 million disabled workers currently receiving disability benefits. The majority of these disabled workers were aged 55 years or older with 23.7 percent falling in the age 55 to 59 range and 31.5 percent were aged beyond 60 years. Workers aged 50 to 54 make up 17.1 percent of active benefits awards. Overall, the average age of a Social Security disability beneficiary is 53.4. This continues the upward trend in the average age of a beneficiary. The average age in 2010 was 52.8.
What Conditions Are Most Commonly Present When Benefits Are Awarded?
In Arkansas, it appears that the age of beneficiaries breaks down similarly compared to national trends. For instance, about 31 percent of the total number of disability beneficiaries were age 60 or above. Similarly, 23.1 percent of disabled beneficiaries were aged from 55 to 59 years. One difference between the national and state-level statistics is that the under 35 cohort, at 7,927 individuals does not make up the smallest percentage of befit recipients in Arkansas. Rather, the cohort including 6,952 individuals aged from 35 to 39 is the smallest disability cohort in Arkansas.
Otherwise, certain conditions are more likely than others to be included in a benefits award. The most common condition to be the reason for or a contributing factor for a benefits award are mental disorders. The mental disorder category includes intellectual disabilities like a low IQ, autism, Asperger’s, and others. Furthermore the category also includes mood disorders like bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, and other problems. The mental disorder category is the largest and most commonly included basis for a disability finding. Nationwide, more than 2.8 million beneficiaries have received a benefits award with this type of impairment.
There are many other conditions that contribute significantly to the number of favorable benefits determinations. Diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue account for more than 2.7 million awards. Problems with the nervous system and sense organs also account of a sizable portion of active benefits awards with more than 800,000 instances. Common impairments and conditions affecting the nervous system include epilepsy, vascular incidents, brain tumors and cerebral palsy. Conditions affecting the circulatory system – any disease or condition that impacts the heart and its functioning and the ability for blood to circulate through the body – resulted in more than 740,000 benefits awards.
Speak With an Experienced SSDI Lawyer in Northwest Arkansas
Ken Kieklak, Attorney at Law is a Social Security attorney dedicated to working with workers who can no longer continue at their job and their families. Ken understands that the process of accepting that one can no longer work is difficult for many people. Furthermore, he understands that the language the SSA uses can seem harsh and unsympathetic to your situation. Ken will explain what the terms the SSA uses actually mean and he will work to present your medical, vocational, and other evidence in a manner that strongly supports the existence of your severe impairment. To schedule a free and confidential consultation, call (479) 316-0438 today or contact us online.