Social Security Law

SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS

The Social Security and Supplemental Security Income disability programs provide assistance to people with disabilities. Individuals who have a disability and meet medical criteria may qualify for benefits under either program.

• Social Security Disability Insurance - pays benefits to you and certain members of your family if you are "insured" meaning that you worked long enough and paid Social Security taxes.
• Supplemental Security Income - pays benefits based on financial need.

When you apply for either program, Social Security will collect medical and other information from you and make a decision about whether or not you meet Social Security’s definition of disability.

Social Security’s Definition of Disability

Disability under Social Security is based on your inability to work. Social Security considers you disabled under Social Security rules if you cannot do work that you did before and it decides that you cannot adjust to other work because of your medical condition(s). Your disability must also last or be expected to last for at least one year or to result in death.

How Social Security Decides If You Are Disabled

The most important factor is that your condition must be so severe that it interferes with your basic work-related activities. For those people who live in Metropolitan Detroit please call Robert D. Paulbeck at (734) 692-3225 to see if your disability is severe enough for you to qualify for social security benefits. For a good explanation of some of the factors that social security looks at to determine disability go to http://www.ssa.gov/disability/

Social Security Application and Appeal

You can apply for Social Security benefits at your local Social Security Branch Office. To obtain the address and telephone number of your nearest Social Security Branch Office, please call the Social Security Administration Hotline telephone number at (800) 772-1213 or go to http://www.ssa.gov. The SSA claim process can be extremely frustrating and prolonged. Even when people are genuinely entitled to social security benefits they simply give up because they find the process is to confusing or complex. Don't let the application process intimidate you. If you are disabled you are entitled to these benefits.

After you submit your application to the Social Security Administration it can take weeks or even months to review your initial application. It is very common to be denied benefits at this initial stage. You have 65 days from the date stamped on the denial letter to appeal the decision and request an Administrative Law Judge hearing. Robert Paulbeck will process the appeal papers and appear with you at the hearing before the Administrative Law Judge. Thus, if you have been initially denied benefits or are awaiting a hearing, please contact Robert Paulbeck immediately for a phone consultation.