If you are living with a disability in Minnesota then you have probably either applied for disability benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA), or you are considering it. If this is the case, then you should know that persons who filed a claim for their disability in Minnesota were accepted at a much better percentage than the national average. While the overall average of the United States is only that about 36 per cent of all applicants are approved on the initial claim, this number is nearly six percent higher in Minnesota. This is probably due to a combination of different factors, but it has a lot to do with the policies of the state run agency which evaluates claims and determines eligibility.
If you find that you or a family member has been disabled due to an illness, mental disease, or accident, and that you will be unable to work and support yourself for at least one year, then you can file for disability in Minnesota. If you are inclined to do this, then you should call ahead and make an appointment with someone in your local SSA office so that you are not waiting around unnecessarily. You could also fill out the application online or go through an attorney. Once you have applied, the waiting game begins as it can take months for you to receive your benefits. If you are denied on the initial application, you can reapply.
In many states there are programs which can help disabled citizens, but if you have a disability in Minnesota, then you could contact the Office of Ombudsman for Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities. This means that there is a special designated office inside of the state which will personally assist you in dealing with many of the problems that people with a disability face on a daily basis. This includes a variety of services ranging from a place to discuss your concerns or grievances to somewhere you can go that will help answer any number of questions. For example, if you need to know if there are any groups, organizations, or counseling centers that may be able to assist you with something or that specialize in dealing with problems related to your disability, the ombudsman should be able to help answer these requests.
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