In the United States there are publicly funded programs which help people who become disabled and are unable to meet their payment obligations. Two programs specifically deal with this issue. SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance) and SSI (Supplemental Security Income) are these two programs.
“SSDI is the national program you pay into your entire working career and its fees are deducted from your paychecks.” said Maria, a disability attorney in Palm Bay Florida. “SSI, on the other hand, is a program which is available to disabled people regardless of work history and how much they contributed into the system.”
Both programs require the applicant to fill out forms and provide medical history. This may sound easy enough on its face but if they make an error or don’t prove their case, they will be denied, and the process will start all over again. Now only that, but unless they add new and better information to the application, the SSA won’t even look at it again.
This is because the Social Security Administration has 57,000 people working there, yet they have to service 400 million residents. They have to process over 2 million applications every single year. They simply don’t have the time to go over each and every application and go back-and-forth with the applicant.
This is where a professional disability attorney comes into play. This is a person who knows all the laws regarding disability. They know how the system works and what will and will not get flagged. Think about it like hiring a CPA for your taxes. A disability attorney is a professional who will handle all the heavy lifting of your case for you. And the best part is that they don’t get paid unless you are approved for disability.
A disability attorney is also capped at how much money they can make for the life of your relationship together. They can never make over $10,000 for every application, appeal and back pay reward combined. Rules were set in place years ago to protect the vulnerable disabled population. They are bound by legal ethics to help their client in the most professional way possible.
Tips and Avice
Before you schedule a meeting with your attorney, gather all the paperwork involving your disability possible. You will want medical records and any interactions with the Social Security Administration. The more prepared you are for your initial consultation, the faster your attorney can get to work for you.
Don’t worry about money or fees. Like we mentioned above, these attorneys are capped at how much they make and only get paid if you do. And there is a very good chance you will get zero dollars unless you use the services of an attorney. This is because only 22% of initial applications are approved. When you use an attorney, this doubles to about 45%.
Conclusion
Don’t be afraid to hire an expert. The most work you will have to do is at the very start and that only requires you bring in your existing paperwork. Hiring an attorney for your case may be the best legal decision you ever make.
