Applicants are often turned down after filing a claim for benefits. If you are unable to work at your job because of a medical or mental health condition, you are supposed to be paid a monthly benefit. Fortunately, the Social Security Administration (SSA) provides applicants with a way to get affordable legal help to increase their chances of being approved. What actions you take after you do get the denial letter in the mail matter quite a bit. Read on and find out more.
What Social Security Lawyers Can Do for You
Many applicants are not aware of this program to help applicants get legal help. Those who cannot work at their jobs may need the benefits offered using Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) but nearly every aspect of the process is complex and overwhelming for many applicants to handle. That is where Social Security lawyers come in. These lawyers have been approved by the SSA to help applicants with their appeals. Once you are turned down, you must appeal the decision if you are to be approved. Appeal hearings allow applicants and their lawyers to argue for the benefits they need. Without this type of help, you can be turned down at the appeal hearing and lose your opportunity for benefits.
Understanding the Fee Situation
The SSA controls the amount of the legal fees charged by Social Security lawyers. The fee, however, even though reasonable, does not have to be paid until the applicant is paid their back pay. However, if the applicant doesn't get approved for benefits at the appeal hearing, they don't owe the lawyer any money at all. That means you only need to pay a reasonable fee from your back pay if you end up getting benefits. The SSA sets up guidelines on the percentage of your back pay the lawyer will be paid. You and the lawyer will agree to fees within the SSA guidelines and then the SSA will need to approve the agreement. Then, the lawyer will get to work on your case so that you will have success at your hearing.
Your Back Pay
Almost all SSDI applicants must wait a long time to get benefits. From the time they quit their jobs because of a condition until they are finally approved after the appeal hearing, several months will have passed. The SSA pays SSDI recipients for that time while they wait. The money is paid all at once when the approval comes through and is known as back pay. It is from this sum, which can be quite a lot, that your Social Security lawyer can be paid. To find out more, speak to a Social Security disability lawyer about your case.
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