3 Benefits Of Having A Social Security Disability Attorney

If you have been unable to work because of a disability, you may be considering applying for Social Security disability benefits. These benefits help many disabled Americans afford food, clothes, a place to live, etc. when they are unable to work. Unfortunately, the application process is long and complicated, so even qualifying individuals may get denied. If you are applying for disability benefits, you should hire an attorney to help you submit your claim and win your case. If you don't believe you need an attorney to submit your claim, check out these three benefits of having a disability attorney in your corner.

They Want You to Get the Money You Deserve

The main reason to hire an attorney is that they want you to win. In fact, because disability attorneys tend to only take disability cases, their own livelihood is also dependent on whether their clients win their disability case. Many contracts with disability attorneys ensure you only pay the attorney if they win your case. Don't worry, however, you won't have to produce a large amount of money at the last minute. Your disability benefits will provide the money for you.

Social Security disability is retroactive. This means that even if your claim didn't get approved for months after you became disabled and stopped working, you still get paid for that time. Before you start receiving your normal monthly benefits, you'll get a large payment that includes all the retroactive disability payments for the months you were disabled but not yet approved for disability benefits. Your attorney usually receives a percentage of this big payment as their fee.

They Will Ensure the Claim Is Right the First Time

To the Social Security office, you may only be a name and a disability. There isn't room for gray areas when processing claims because the employees can't take the time to get to know each personal claimant. For this reason, about 70 percent of the disability claims received are initially denied. One reason they are commonly denied is missing or incorrect personal information. If you have your name misspelled or the wrong address, you may have your claim denied.

Claims are also denied because there is not enough information to prove the disability. You need a lot of medical records and other information to show that the disability prevents you from working. Unless you work in a field related to disability or know someone who has a similar disability, you may not know what information needs to be submitted. An attorney, however, will ensure all the correct information is submitted so your claim isn't denied when you are perfectly qualified for benefits.

They Have the Skills to Win the Unusual Cases

Some disability cases are unusual, increasing the risk of having them denied even if you are qualified for benefits. For example, when you are receiving disability benefits, you can actually continue to work and earn some money. As long as you aren't earning too much money or working too many hours, you can make your own money without losing benefits. You have to report all the money you earn and will likely receive fewer benefits (based on how much you earned that month). The benefit is that you can see if you are ready to work without the risk of losing benefits and having to restart the process if you are still unable to work.

If you are still working because your disability allows you to work a few hours a week, you may still qualify for benefits, but without an attorney to fight for you and explain why you can work but still need benefits, the Social Security office may simply deny the claim, assuming you are still able to work. Another odd situation may be that you haven't been disabled for a year yet. To qualify for disability benefits, you need to have a long-term disability, but if your attorney can prove your disability is long-term, you don't have to be out of work or disabled for a year before you can apply.  

Disability benefits help many Americans support themselves and their family members. However, getting approved can be difficult if you don't have an experienced attorney in your corner. For more information about Social Security disability, or if you would like to schedule a consultation, contact an attorney like Todd East Attorney at Law in your area today.

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