The Best Southwest area includes DeSoto, Cedar Hill, Duncanville, and Lancaster, four communities in the southern part of the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex. If you live in the Best Southwest area and need information about Social Security Disability benefits, this page is designed to help you understand the local issues that may affect your claim.
Social Security Disability law is federal law. The same basic rules and regulations apply to a disability claimant living in DeSoto, Cedar Hill, Duncanville, Lancaster, or another city in Texas, or anywhere else in the country.
But where you live can still matter in a Social Security Disability claim. Access to medical care, local Social Security offices, hearing offices, and community resources can all play an important role in preparing a strong disability case. If you live in the Best Southwest area and are disabled, we hope this information is helpful.
3 Keys to Winning Disability Benefits in the Best Southwest Area
Key #1: Regular and Ongoing Medical Treatment
Securing medical treatment when you are not able to work is a challenge in the Best Southwest area and throughout Texas. Most medical insurance is tied to employment: lose your job, and you may also lose your medical insurance. COBRA extended benefits are expensive, and there is only a short time window to exercise those rights.
Many residents of DeSoto, Cedar Hill, Duncanville, and Lancaster pursue Social Security Disability benefits at least in part to secure medical treatment through Medicare or Medicaid. But the difficult reality is that without ongoing medical treatment, Best Southwest area residents may have trouble winning disability benefits.
Fortunately, residents of the Best Southwest area may have low-cost or free medical care options available through Dallas County resources, including:
| LBU South Oak Cliff 5787 S. Hampton Rd. Suite 365 Dallas, TX 75232 Phone: 214-540-0300 | LBU Oak Cliff 4732 W. Illinois Ave. Dallas, TX 75211 Phone: 214-540-0300 | LBU Pediatrics / Sylvan Ave. Location 3111 Sylvan Ave. Dallas, TX 75212 Phone: 214-540-0300 | The Stewpot / Parkland HOMES Clinic 1835 Young St. Dallas, TX 75201 Phone: 214-746-2785 |
| Dallas Life 1100 Cadiz St. Dallas, TX 75215 Phone: 214-421-1380 | Primary Care Clinic of Texas – Dallas 10 Medical Parkway Suite 207 Farmers Branch, TX 75234 Phone: 214-378-6005 | Hatcher Station Health Center 4600 Scyene Road Dallas, TX 75210 Phone: 214-266-1000 | Southeast Dallas Health Center 9202 Elam Road Dallas, TX 75217 Phone: 214-266-1600 |
Key #2: Hire an Experienced Social Security Disability Lawyer Who Focuses Only on Social Security Disability
It should come as no surprise that we think Denman Law Office is a strong choice for Best Southwest area Social Security Disability representation. But with this page, we hope to give residents of DeSoto, Cedar Hill, Duncanville, and Lancaster helpful information about Social Security Disability claims, whether you hire attorney Denman or not.
Choosing a Social Security Disability attorney is not much different than any other important hiring decision. For Best Southwest area residents, it is important to look for experience, specialization, and a lawyer who understands how local medical records, SSA offices, and hearing office procedures can affect a disability claim.
Disability Lawyer for the Best Southwest Area
Free Consultation – Call Us!Isn’t it Time You Got Serious About Your Best Southwest Area Social Security Disability Claim?
Key #3: Prepare for Your Administrative Law Hearing: Be Truthful, Don’t “Put on a Brave Face,” But Don’t Exaggerate
Social Security Disability Benefits: Important Facts about the Best Southwest Area, Texas
The Best Southwest area has a lower percentage of adult residents receiving Social Security Disability than Texas and the United States as a whole.
Workers
Disabled workers
The Best Southwest area has a high percentage of residents under age 65 without health insurance: about the same as Texas overall, and much higher than the United States as a whole.
Persons with health insurance, under age 65
Persons without health insurance, under age 65
Fewer Best Southwest area households speak a language other than English at home compared with both Texas and the United States as a whole.
English spoken at home
Language other than English spoken at home
Social Security Administration Offices for the Best Southwest Area
Depending on where you live in DeSoto, Cedar Hill, Duncanville, Lancaster, or elsewhere in the Best Southwest area, your Social Security Disability claim may be connected with one of several Social Security Administration field offices.
Dallas Cliff Creek Social Security Administration Office
2475 Cliff Creek Crossing Dr.
Dallas, TX 75237
Dallas Malcolm X Boulevard Social Security Administration Office
2530 S. Malcolm X Blvd.
Dallas, TX 75215
Grand Prairie Social Security Administration Office
2010 N. State Hwy 360
Grand Prairie, TX 75050
Office of Hearings Operations for the Best Southwest Area
Most Best Southwest area Social Security Disability claims — like all disability claims in Texas — eventually go before an Administrative Law Judge for decision. The ALJ hearing is where disability claimants often have their best chance for benefit approval.
Disability claims for those living in DeSoto, Cedar Hill, Duncanville, Lancaster, or elsewhere in the Best Southwest area are generally handled by the Office of Hearing Operations at Harwood Center in Dallas.
Traditionally, ALJ hearings for disability claimants who live in the Best Southwest area have been held in person at the Dallas hearing office. This means claimants may be required to travel to Dallas for their hearing.
With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, all OHO offices stopped conducting in-person hearings in favor of video or telephone-based hearings. Claimants still had the right to request an in-person hearing, but often had to wait longer until in-person hearings were available again.
In addition, because video and telephone hearings do not require claimant travel, some Best Southwest area cases may be assigned to OHO offices other than the Dallas OHO.
Currently, OHO continues to give claimants the option of a phone or video hearing. While the situation continues to be somewhat unsettled, it appears that claimants who agree to a video or phone hearing may receive a hearing date sooner than those who request an in-person hearing.
Attorney Denman can advise Best Southwest area disability clients about this important ALJ hearing decision: in-person, telephone, or video?
Office of Hearing Operations
Harwood Center
Suite 2300
1999 Bryan St.
Dallas, TX 75201
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