Social Security Disability

Who qualifies for disability benefits

You may qualify for Social Security Disability if a physical or mental condition prevents you from working and is expected to last at least 12 months or result in death. We help clients pursue benefits for:

• Physical injuries from accidents at home, at work, or on the road
• Mental health conditions that affect your ability to get or keep a job
• Chronic, long-term illnesses

Disability benefits can also work alongside other recovery. If you were hurt in a car crash, you may collect SSD in addition to a personal injury claim. If you were hurt on the job, you may be eligible for more than workers’ compensation alone.

SSDI vs. SSI — what’s the difference?

Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is based on your work history. If you’ve worked and paid Social Security taxes long enough, you may be eligible. How much you receive depends on how long you worked and what you earned.

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is needs-based and does not depend on work history. It provides benefits to people who are disabled, blind, or 65 and older and who have limited income and resources. Generally, an individual may have no more than $2,000 in countable resources, or $3,000 for a married couple. Certain assets, such as your home and one vehicle, don’t count toward that limit.

Some people qualify for both. We help you determine which program — or programs — fit your situation.

Why applications get denied

Many people who apply for disability benefits are denied at first, even when they clearly qualify. One small mistake — a missing form, an incomplete medical record, a missed deadline — can sink an otherwise valid claim. Denials also discourage many people from appealing, which is exactly why appealing matters.

We know which forms to file and how to complete them, what medical and employment evidence the Social Security Administration requires, and how to keep clerical mistakes from jeopardizing your claim.

Appealing a denied claim

A denial is not the end. In fact, many people who now receive SSD or SSI benefits got them on appeal. The appeals process generally moves through:

1. Reconsideration
2. A hearing before an administrative law judge
3. Review by the Appeals Council
4. Federal court

Each step has strict deadlines — generally 60 days from the date you receive a denial. If you win on appeal, you may also recover back benefits for the period you would have been paid if your claim had been approved the first time.

Learn more about SSDI appeals ->

No benefits, no fee

We handle disability claims on a contingency basis. If you don’t receive benefits, you pay no attorney fees. When a claim succeeds, fees are limited by federal law and approved by the Social Security Administration, and are typically paid from past-due benefits — not out of your pocket upfront.

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