Birmingham Social Security Lawyer
Being unable to work and provide for your family is an unfortunate situation that many people face. Whether a person has worked a full-time job for the past thirty years, or was just born, the federal government’s Social Security Income (SSI) program can provide income to struggling families.
Whether you have recently become seriously ill or injured or have a child with significant health problems, Birmingham social security lawyers are here to help. Applying for SSI is a complicated and lengthy process. Do not go it alone; contact our experienced injury attorneys today.
SSI Eligibility Requirements
SSI benefits require that a person be unable to participate in any substantially gainful activity. This means participating in any full-time job. It also requires that this disability can be expected to result in death, or has lasted, or can be expected to last, for a continuous period of not less than 12 months.
There is no requirement that the applicant have any work history. In addition to the medical requirements, there is also a rule that states that a person must be of limited resources.
The vast majority of a person’s personal assets must be exhausted to quality for SSI. The limit for a single person is $2,000 worth of assets, while a married person can have $3,000.
For child applicants, the injury or illness must also be expected to last a minimum of 12 months. Whereas the adult requirement of being unable to participate in any “substantial gainful activity” does not apply to small children, the guideline of “severe functional limitations” is used.
This is, once again, a subjective standard. In addition to medical records, any school records indicating a difficulty in learning will be instrumental in proving a child’s case and can be obtained with the assistance of a Birmingham social security lawyer.
What are the Medical Requirements?
Contrary to popular belief, to qualify as “disabled” as defined by the Social Security Administration, a person must be unable to perform any work for at least 30 hours a week. Just because someone cannot do what they used to do, does not mean that they cannot perform at another job, even if that job pays a much lower salary. For example, a former roofer who has a degenerative disk issue in their back will need to demonstrate that their condition prevents them not only from roofing, but from performing a desk job.
Another common misconception is that people need to have a physical injury to be disabled. The reality is quite the opposite. Many applicants have successful claims based solely on mental conditions such as bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. In these cases, an applicant or a Birmingham social security lawyer on their behalf will need to demonstrate that the effects of the mental condition are severe enough that the person cannot perform any job on a full-time basis.
Lastly, a person’s medical conditions must be under consistent care by a doctor. Simply having a diagnosis is insufficient. A pattern of care, either through surgery, therapy, or medication is needed to demonstrate to the Social Security Administration that not only is a person’s condition real, but also that treatment has not provided a substantial improvement.
Contact a Birmingham Social Security Attorney Today
Whether you have applied for SSI for either you or your child, and been denied, or are considering applying for the first time, lawyers are here to help. The entire process involves multiple applications, appeals, and submissions of paperwork. All of this culminates in a judge’s hearing.
Having an attorney on your side to coordinate the applications, submit the paperwork properly, and persuasively argue your case before the judge can make all the difference. Contact our firm’s Birmingham social security lawyers today.
