Los Angeles Social Security Disability Lawyer

If you’re unable to work due to a recent injury or disability, it may be time to talk to a Los Angeles social security disability lawyer.

A Los Angeles social security disability lawyer will help you file your claim with government programs, including Social Security Disability (SSD) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI), which are in place to provide assistance for those who suffer from physical or mental conditions.

If you miss a substantial amount of time from work due to an illness or injury, money will quickly become an issue.

These programs are in place to help.

Let’s take a closer look at some of the California disability benefits these programs provide as well as the benefits of hiring the best disability attorney in Los Angeles may be able to help.

Here we go …

Want to Apply for Social Security Benefits?

According to the Social Security Administration (SSA), nearly 10.2 million people received disability benefits in 2016 from the Social Security Disability program. In addition, the Supplemental Security Income program paid nearly $55 billion to SSI recipients.

That’s a lot of applicants.

The amount of people applying for these programs is overwhelming and often results in an extremely high rejection rate.

We strongly recommend you seek the legal counsel of an experienced Los Angeles Social Security Disability Lawyer in your area.  Qualified SSD and SSI lawyers in Los Angeles will help you through the legal process, which may help increase the chance of your social security benefits application being approved.

Need help finding a lawyer?

Call 818-697-1479 or tell us a little about your legal matter and we’ll help you get up to 30 minutes of free consultation from one of the experienced social security benefits lawyers in our network.

Want to learn a little more about social security programs first?

The Social Security Disability and Supplemental Security Income programs offer different benefits for different people. In order to improve your chances of approval, you need to understand the difference and apply to the correct benefit program.

Here’s a quick breakdown of each program and why it’s best to hire

Social Security Disability (SSD)

The Social Security Disability (SSD) program is in place to assist people who have been disabled and are no longer able to work or make less than a set amount of income per month.

Qualifying for SSD benefits requires documentation of the disability as well as an evaluation of your work history. Your disability must be expected to last longer than one year or result in death.

The evaluation of your work history considers your age when you became disabled and how much recent work history you need to qualify.

• If you were younger than 24, you will need 1.5 years of work history during the three years prior to becoming disabled.
• If you were 24-30, you will need to provide documentation that you worked half the time during the period between turning 21 and the quarter in which you became disabled.
• If you were 31 or older, you will need 5 years of work history out of the 10-year period prior to becoming disabled.

The SSA also looks at the total duration of your work history during their evaluation, requiring at least 1.5 years of history from applicants who became disabled before age 28 and 9.5 years from applicants who became disabled after turning 60.

Your earnings are also considered during evaluation. If you’re still able to work and earn a certain amount, you aren’t considered disabled.

Once the SSA determines you may be eligible, they’ll ask more detailed questions about your disability, weigh its severity against listed impairments, and inquire if you’re able to do any other type of work.

As you can see, the application process is quite difficult and requires a tremendous amount of attention to detail, compliance, and patience. For these reasons, we recommend finding an attorney for social security disability benefits to help you with this process.

How A Los Angeles Social Security Disability Lawyer Can Help

While it is possible to apply for Social Security Disability benefits on your own, the process isn’t very straightforward and can be extremely challenging for those who aren’t sure how to properly navigate the system.

In fact, the Social Security Administration routinely denies more than half of applications.

Applications may be denied up to 90% of the time!

Most people don’t enlist the help of an administrative law specialist until they have already been denied.

Hiring an experienced Los Angeles Social Security disability lawyer may help ensure you are approved initially, which means you will begin receiving your check sooner. If the Social Security Administration denies this initial claim, you can appeal the decision.

In some cases, the next step is requesting reconsideration. This is a required part of the appeals process in some areas of the state, but not in others. Your claim may be approved during reconsideration, or it may again be denied.

If your application is denied during reconsideration, or if you are in an area that does not require this step, you can appeal in an administrative law hearing. Your lawyer will represent you in this hearing, which is typically informal but is presided over by a judge. In most cases, an experienced attorney can get your claim approved at this point. If not, however, you may still have other options. Your lawyer will discuss the next steps based on the specifics of your situation.

Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

Supplemental Security Income benefits are available to people who are disabled, blind, or over 65 years old and have a limited amount of income and resources.

Only those with income and resources below a certain amount are eligible for SSI benefits, regardless of work history or payment into the social security system. If what you own is worth more than $2,000 ($3,000 for couples), you will be considered ineligible for SSI benefits.

In addition, there are strict income requirements you must meet to be considered eligible. The first $65 you make each month is excluded, but every two dollars you make afterward will result in a one-dollar reduction in your monthly benefit amount.

How much is SSI in California?

Between California’s State Supplemental Payment ($160.72) and the Federal Benefit Rate ($750), the benefit amount of SSI in California is $910.72 as of 2018. The maximum benefit for a couple is $1,532.14.

Learn more about supplemental security income benefits here.

So …

Is it really worth the investment to hire a Los Angeles Social Security disability lawyer?

Based on how often applications are denied due to simple errors, we think it’s pretty clear why the investment makes sense. You can try to apply without the help of a professional SSI attorney, but there’s a good chance your application will be denied.

How many times are you willing to apply?

How long will it take?

Wouldn’t it be nice if you applied once and received approval?

For many Americans, investing in a Los Angeles Social Security disability lawyer is the key to getting back to living your life without having to worry about applications, corrections, and how you’re going to pay your monthly bills.

How A Los Angeles Social Security Income Lawyer Can Help

Supplemental Security Income, often known as SSI, is handled in a very similar way to Social Security Disability Income. Because you must be low-income to qualify for SSI benefits, however, proving your financial standing also plays a key role in having your SSI claim approved.

A Los Angeles Social Security disability lawyer can help guide you through this process.

The income required to entitle a disabled person to SSI benefits is very low and includes assets and resources in addition to regular pay.

The federal government sets the guidelines on this, and the rules are very strict. While your home and your car are not considered, almost any other type of income or asset must be accounted for. Issues with income are the top reason SSI claims are denied. Because a number of monthly benefits paid by SSI is also based on your income, you could also be approved but only receive a minimum amount if your income is not calculated correctly.

The application and appeals process for SSI is identical to the process required for disability benefits, with the addition of the need to prove income.

Experienced SSD and SSI lawyers will help guide you through this process.

Do I Really Need a Lawyer?

Enlisting the help of a Los Angeles Social Security disability lawyer, or an SSI lawyer specifically, can greatly increase the chances that your SSD or SSI claim will be approved.

An experienced disability benefits lawyer can save you a lot of time, and help you get your claim approved faster. This means you will begin receiving benefits sooner and can reduce the stress caused by your financial situation.

While hiring a lawyer for your initial application offers a number of benefits, most people don’t consider legal assistance until they receive a denial of benefits. At this point, it is imperative to find a qualified attorney who understands how the disability benefits appeals system works. Without this help, you may continue to spend time, effort and money to fight the denial only to never have your claim approved.

In some cases, it may become necessary to prove your disability.

Your attorney will be able to connect you with the proper medical specialists and consult other experts to properly demonstrate your true condition to the Social Security Administration.

If your SSI claim has been denied, your attorney will also be able to help you gather the paperwork necessary to meet the burden of proof requirements to show your income.

Finding Social Security Lawyers in Your Area

Finding the right attorney in Los Angeles takes time and energy.

Even then, you may not be able to find the most qualified attorney you need for your situation.

We’re here to help.

We will connect you with the right SSI attorneys in Los Angeles so you navigate the legal process, file your claim, and successfully obtain the income you need to live your life.

Call 818-340-4529 today or use our contact form to get started.