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Millions of Americans rely on Social Security disability benefits (namely, SSDI and SSI) to pay bills and maintain financial stability after an accident, life change, or health condition leaves them physically or mentally unable to work.
Unfortunately, Social Security disability benefits have become more-and-more difficult to access because of shifting political winds and administrative overreaction to cases of fraud and abuse. Today, some people truly deserving of Social Security disability benefits have their applications for those benefits denied for improper or unfair reasons.
The hard-working Seattle social security attorneys at Boohoff Law have years of experience representing Americans whose Social Security disability claims have been denied and who need help pursuing the appeals process to obtain the benefits they deserve.
If you or a loved one faces an unfair or unjust Social Security benefits claim denial, we can help. Contact us today to learn more.
For years, Tatiana Boohoff and her team of top-flight attorneys have represented Americans struggling to obtain the Social Security disability benefits they rightly deserve.
Boohoff Law opened its doors in Florida more than a decade ago, and recently expanded its practice to the Seattle area, bringing with it a reputation for providing clients with smart, effective, diligent legal services, delivered with a personal touch.
When you find yourself in need of a superstar legal team to fight the toughest battles against federal and Washington State bureaucracy, Boohoff Law is your best choice in the Seattle area for getting results. Of course, no matter we handle has a guaranteed outcome. Every case we handle has its own unique facts and circumstances.
But the lawyers at Boohoff Law have the know-how and resources to untangle even the most complicated legal knots. Unlike some law firms that shy away from contending with government red tape, we spend every day using our cutting edge skills and relentless determination to achieve our clients’ goals, even if it means wading neck-deep into government regulations.
The following information borrows heavily from the Social Security Administration‘s (SSA’s) guidebooks on the SSDI and SSI benefits programs.
We encourage anyone with questions about those programs to supplement the information provided in our summary below by reading those guidebooks and other helpful materials found on the SSA’s website as well as on the website of the Washington State office for Disability Determination Services.
SSDI stands for “Social Security Disability Insurance.” It is a federal program that pays benefits to disabled workers who worked long enough to qualify for them and who paid Social Security taxes.
When someone is “on disability,” that usually means SSDI.
To be eligible to receive SSDI, a worker must meet a two part test.
In addition to the worker, certain other family members may also have the right to receive SSDI benefits. They include spouses over age 62, spouses of any age caring for a child who is under 16 or is disabled, and unmarried children under age 18 or who are disabled.
Applying for SSDI benefits involves submitting employment and medical paperwork to the SSA for an initial determination of your eligibility (principally, whether you meet the work history requirement).
If the SSA decides you meet basic requirements, it then forwards your file to the Washington State office for Disability Determination Services to make a final evaluation of your disability status.
According to the SSA, the government generally asks five basic questions in determining whether you are “disabled:”
As you might imagine, most disputes about eligibility for SSDI revolve around whether you are “disabled” under the criteria above.
If you are deemed disabled, the amount of benefits you receive will be based on your average lifetime earnings.
SSI stands for “Supplemental Security Income.” It is a program for elderly, blind, or disabled (as defined above) persons who have low incomes and limited financial resources. SSI acts, essentially, as a “safety net” for people of extremely limited means. It does not have a work history requirement.
Eligibility for SSI depends on a person being over 65, blind, or disabled, and having very limited income and financial resources (namely, the value of things you own).
In certain instances, a disabled person may continue to work and still receive SSI. Washington State supplements the amount of basic federal SSI, subject to certain additional eligibility requirements.
Applications for SSI benefits can be filed online at SSA.gov or a local Social Security Administration office. The application process consists of providing detailed financial information to demonstrate financial need.
If SSI is approved, the amount of payment depends in part on where the applicant lives. As of 2019, the amount for an individual is about $700/month in Washington State, and about $1,100/month for a couple.
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As you might imagine from reading the overview above, disputes arise from time-to-time about eligibility for benefits. Most of these disputes center on disagreements over a disability determination, although sometimes disputes arise for other reasons (such as the size of “resources” a person applying for SSI has).
Disputes also come up when the State reviews a prior disability determination and decides someone is no longer disabled and thus, no longer eligible for benefits. Generally speaking, there are four levels of appeal of a denial of SSDI or SSI benefits.
They are:
The levels above are successive, meaning you must start at reconsideration, and if you lose at one level you can opt to go on to the next one. As a general matter, each level involves more complications and legal technicality than the previous one.
Some of the most common issues that arise in appeals are:
This is just a sampling of appeal issues in Social Security disability benefits determinations.
As government agencies continue to crack down on suspected (or imagined) cases of fraud and abuse, they continue to come up with new and creative reasons to deny benefits.
The SSA’s website tries to make it seem easy for a person to apply for SSDI and SSI benefits. But, don’t be fooled. In this day and age, applying for benefits can seem to go from “simple” to “complicated” to “hopeless” in the blink of an eye.
The fact is, to succeed in an application for benefits, applicants should not take any part of the application, review, or appeal process lightly. Every step requires special attention to detail. A mistake at any phase of the process can prove fatal to a claim.
That is why at Boohoff Law we encourage anyone thinking of applying for SSDI or SSI to seek help from an experienced Social Security attorney before beginning the process. The sooner you connect with an attorney, the better your chances of avoiding mistakes that can doom your application process. Not everyone thinks to hire an attorney to help them apply for SSDI or SSI.
An attorney, however, can still be a huge help with your appeal if you retain one after your claim was denied. Again, the sooner you speak with an experienced Seattle Social Security lawyer after your denial, the better.
Yes, you can request a reconsideration of your application on your own, but it’s better to give your attorney the chance to review your file first. That way, an attorney can identify your strongest arguments for reversing the decision, and prepare you to make the case for them.
At all stages, you have the right to have an attorney speak for you and appear for you at hearings, conferences, and court appearances.
Do not wade into the bureaucratic mess of applying for SSDI or SSI benefits, or appealing the denial of an application, without an experienced Social Security attorney by your side.
In Seattle, Boohoff Law can help. Contact us today, or call us at (877) 999-9999.
Boohoff Law P.A.
Seattle Location
2200 6th Avenue,
Suite 768 Seattle,
WA 98121
(877) 999-9999
We’ll assess your case every detail, every angle as we fight for the outcome you deserve. We roll up our sleeves and bring an unrelenting commitment and proven track record to formulate a winning game plan, keeping you clearly informed along the way.
The information on this website is for general information purposes only. Nothing on this site should be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. This information is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship.
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