If your application for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) has been denied, do not panic. The majority of all SSDI applications are initially denied. The government attempts to discourage SSDI applicants by rejecting most initial applications.
The experienced Social Security disability attorneys at Pitts & Zanaty, L.L.C., have helped thousands of clients throughout Alabama and other states receive Social Security Disability Insurance. We also assist clients who need Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
We assist clients with initial applications and Social Security disability appeals. Attorney R.D. Pitts has handled SSDI cases since 1981. If you need help with SSDI/SSI applications or appeals, contact Pitts & Zanaty, L.L.C.
We Won't Quit Until You Get the Help You Need
Our attorneys are dedicated to helping clients improve their lives. If your initial application has been denied, we will apply for a hearing before an administrative law judge. If your appeal is denied, we can appeal to the Appeals Council and if that does not work, we can appeal all the way up to the U.S. District Court.
Our firm has a tremendous win rate in Social Security disability appeals because we invest the time and effort necessary to get results. We have won many cases that seemed hopeless to others. Unlike some firms that artificially inflate their win rates by taking only easy cases, we take the challenging cases as well as the easy ones.
Contact a Social Security Disability Appeals Attorney
If your application has been denied, contact an attorney at our firm. We have office locations throughout the state of Alabama. We also assist clients in Alabama, Tennessee, Florida, and Georgia. If you are unable to travel to one of our offices, we can also provide you with information through the mail.
No representation is made that the quality of the legal services to be performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Social Security Administration (SSA) says that a successful applicant for disability benefits must be completely disabled. This is unlike some other programs and insurance policies that assist partially disabled persons. The disability must be a physical or mental impairment that is expected to last at least one year (or has already lasted one year) or will result in the applicant's death. This does not mean, however, that the applicant has to be permanently disabled.
If your application is denied, you may appeal the decision. There are several levels of appeal: reconsideration of your claim; a hearing with an administrative law judge (ALJ); review by the Appeals Council; and review by the federal district court. You have a limited time in which to file the appeals, however. The advice and assistance of an attorney can help you make a stronger case during the appeals process.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) says that you must not be able to perform "substantial gainful activity," which means the type of activity a person normally does for pay or profit. If your monthly earnings are below a certain amount (which SSA sets every year), however, you will not be considered to be performing substantial gainful activity. If you are receiving disability benefits but wish to try working, you can take part in nine months' worth of a work trial period, during which SSA will not stop your benefits if you are still disabled.
Yes. To receive Social Security Disability benefits, you must have both a disability and a sufficient work history. The required work history depends on your age when your disability began; you must have worked for a certain number of years. Your work also must be recent enough to qualify.
No. Your disability benefit will be based on your earnings history, not the specific nature of your disability.
The Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) programs are both run by the Social Security Administration (SSA). SSDI provides benefits to people who are unable to work because of their disabilities. To be eligible, applicants must have a qualifying work history and be disabled or blind. SSI is a needs-based program. To be eligible for SSI, applicants must have limited income and resources and be aged, disabled or blind.
Benefits typically are paid beginning in the sixth month after the disability started. The application and decision process may take a long time, so it is best to apply for disability benefits as soon as you become disabled.
Workers' compensation benefits may reduce your Social Security Disability benefits, but you can receive them at the same time. If the total benefits exceed 80 percent of your average current earnings, your Social Security Disability benefit will be reduced.
