Social Security
Social Security disability and SSI claims
Social Security runs two programs for people who can't work, and they ask different questions. I help with both, from the first application to the hearing.
Disability insurance (SSDI) is for people who worked and paid into the system long enough. Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is for people with little income and few resources, whatever their work history. Some people qualify for both.
In either one the agency asks the same hard question: given your medical records, your age, your schooling and the jobs you've held, is there work you can still do? A diagnosis alone doesn't answer it. Your doctors' notes about what you can't do on a bad day usually do.
What I look at first
Your work history for the last fifteen years
What your doctors have written about lifting, standing, sitting and concentrating
Dates: when you stopped working, when you applied, what any letter says
Whether SSDI, SSI or both fit your situation
What I do for you
Read the records
I go through your medical file and the agency's, and I list what's missing before anything is filed.
Ask your doctors for a short statement
A short statement about what you can and can't do carries more weight than a long chart. I help your doctor's office write one.
File and follow
I handle the application or appeal, keep the dates, and tell you when something comes in.
Stand beside you at the hearing
If a judge hears the claim, I prepare you for the questions and I'm in the room.
Asked often at this desk
Can I apply for both SSDI and SSI?
Yes. They are separate programs with separate rules, and the agency checks both when it can. Some people receive a check from each.
Does a diagnosis guarantee approval?
No. The agency decides on what the records show you can still do. Two people with the same diagnosis can get different answers.
How long will I wait for a decision?
It depends on the office and the stage. I won't give you a date I can't stand behind, but I'll tell you where in the line you are.
Bring me the letter you were afraid to open
I read whatever you send before I call, so we can start with where your claim actually stands.