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After becoming disabled due to an injury or congenital/chronic health condition, you may qualify for financial disability benefits from the Social Security Administration. The SSA operates programs that provide qualifying individuals with financial payments if they cannot work due to a disability. Contact Stine & Associates, P.C. for a free initial case review with a Social Security disability lawyer to discuss your potential eligibility for Social Security disability benefits.
Why Choose Stine & Associates, P.C. to Help You with Your Social Security Disability Claim?
Applying for Social Security disability benefits in Murrysville can become a time-consuming, stressful process. Having an experienced legal advocate in your corner can take the stress of the application process off your shoulders. A Social Security disability attorney can prepare you for what to expect throughout the application process and fight for your rights to disability benefits. Choose Stine & Associates, P.C. to guide you through your SSD benefits application because:
- Attorney Cindy Stine has over 30 years of experience representing and providing a voice to the injured and disabled in Murrysville and throughout Westmoreland County and Central/Western Pennsylvania.
- We have dedicated our practice to serving people recovering from severe injuries and disabilities, having acquired extensive knowledge of injury and Social Security disability laws.
- Our firm offers free initial consultations and charges no fee unless and until we secure the disability benefits you need and deserve. As a result, you have no financial risk in working with us to pursue Social Security disability benefits.
Understanding the Social Security Disability Programs
The Social Security Administration operates two benefit programs that provide financial assistance to disabled individuals: Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Both programs require applicants to have a “disability,” which SSA regulations define as a condition that prevents an individual from performing substantial gainful activity and has or will last for at least 12 months or cause the individual’s death. The regulations define substantial gainful activity as earning a minimum amount of income from work. Furthermore, the applicant must have a condition listed in the Social Security Administration’s “Blue Book” of impairments or one that equals a listed impairment and prevents the application from performing substantial gainful activity.
SSDI serves workers who become disabled and unable to perform jobs within their current skills. Qualifying for SSDI requires a worker to have a sufficient work history. For most workers, this means earning at least 40 work credits, although younger workers may need fewer credits. An individual earns a work credit by earning a threshold amount of taxable income, and people can earn up to four work credits per year. SSDI applicants also need to have earned at least 20 credits in the ten years preceding the onset of disability.
SSI serves disabled individuals with little or no income and few or no assets. SSI applicants do not need to have a work history. Instead, they qualify by falling under the income and asset thresholds for the program. Applicants must earn less than the monthly threshold income. They also must have less than $2,000 in countable assets ($3,000 for married applicants). However, countable assets do not include property such as a primary residence and the land it sits on, a family vehicle used for transportation, household goods, personal items, and tools and equipment used in the person’s trade or business.
The Process of Applying for Social Security Disability Benefits
The application process for Social Security disability benefits involves several steps. First, a Murrysville applicant must submit an SSDI or SSI application. Applications must also include supporting documentation, such as medical evidence of the applicant’s disability or financial and work history information, which the Social Security Administration uses to evaluate an applicant’s eligibility. After receiving an application, the Social Security Administration will forward it to a state Disability Determination Services office. That group will evaluate whether the applicant has a qualifying disability. The DDS office may contact the applicant’s healthcare providers for additional information, request additional documentation from the application, or require the applicant to attend a medical examination paid for by the SSA.
After evaluating whether the applicant has a qualifying disability and meets the other SSDI or SSI benefits criteria, the SSA will either approve or deny the application. When the SSA denies a disability benefits application, the applicant can pursue an administrative appeal, which involves a three-level process:
- Reconsideration: An applicant can request reconsideration of their application. They may submit additional information or documentation to remedy any deficiencies that may have led to the denial of their application.
- Administrative hearing: Applicants can further appeal by requesting a hearing before an administrative law judge, who will consider the application, testimony, and arguments presented by the parties.
- Appeals Council: An applicant can appeal an unfavorable decision by the administrative law judge to the SSA’s Appeals Council, which may either decline to hear the appeal or grant the appeal and potentially reverse the ALJ’s decision or return the case to the ALJ for further proceedings.
After an unfavorable decision from the Appeals Council, an applicant may pursue their disability benefits claim by filing a lawsuit in federal court.
How Can an Attorney Help You?
Most people who apply for Social Security disability benefits have their applications denied on initial review. Working with a knowledgeable Social Security disability attorney who serves Murrysville can help you avoid pitfalls that may result in having your application denied. Additionally, they can handle the appeals process if the Social Security Administration denies your application. An injury attorney from Stine & Associates, P.C. can guide you through the SSDI/SSI application process by:
- Reviewing your case to evaluate your eligibility for SSDI or SSI benefits
- Gathering supporting medical, employment history, and financial information for your application
- Working with you to complete your application with detailed information to give you the best chance of approval
- Communicating with Social Security Administration officials throughout your case, including responding to requests for additional information and documentation or preparing you for requested medical examinations
- Reviewing an application denial to help you understand the reasons for the Administration’s decision and your legal options for appealing the denial
- Pursuing the administrative appeals process to challenge the denial of your claim or taking your case to federal court after exhausting your administrative appeals
Contact Our Firm Today to Discuss Your Options
When an injury or illness has left you with a prolonged or permanent disability that prevents you from working and performing other daily tasks, you may have the right to seek Social Security disability benefits for the financial support you need. Contact Stine & Associates, P.C. today for a free, no-obligation consultation with a Social Security disability attorney serving Murrysville to learn more about the Social Security Administration’s disability benefits programs and discuss whether you may qualify.
Directions to Our Law Office
When you have a Social Security disability claim in Murrysville, talk to an experienced attorney at our office in Greensburg at 10 East Pittsburgh St., Suite 2, Greensburg, PA 15601-3302. To reach our office:
From the North:
Take US-119 S toward Greensburg. Turn left onto East Pittsburgh Street. Continue straight, and the destination will be on your right.
From the South:
Take US-119 N toward Greensburg. Turn right onto East Pittsburgh Street. Continue straight, and the destination will be on your right.
From the East:
Take US-30 W toward Greensburg. Turn left onto North Main Street. Turn right onto East Pittsburgh Street. Continue straight, and the destination will be on your right.
From the West:
Take US-30 E toward Greensburg. Turn right onto North Main Street. Turn right onto East Pittsburgh Street. Continue straight, and the destination will be on your right.