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Disability Lawyers in Florida

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Social Security Disability Benefits In Florida

It can happen at any time: one day you’re living your best life, and the next moment you’re living a nightmare. Even if you’re doing everything right, disability doesn’t discriminate. Millions of people across the country are disabled, and millions more will become disabled.

If you or someone you know is suffering from a disabling condition, it is time to act. Although social assistance is not guaranteed, it is certainly worth pursuing. For people who are disabled and unable to work, disability assistance can be a life-changer.

Some of the disabilities for which people in Florida can apply for disability benefits are:

How Does the SSA Grant Social Security Disability Benefits in Florida?

Receiving social security disability benefits is not always easy. This form of social assistance is provided specifically by the Social Security Administration (SSA), a federal governmental agency. The SSA carefully analyzes every case before approving or denying benefits.

If a person who is applying for disability benefits makes a mistake, then the SSA will analyze it. If an applicant for disability benefits lies or misrepresents facts, the SSA will most likely notice that. Most applicants are not fully informed about the application process for Social Security Disability Benefits.

Disability Lawyers in Florida

Delays in the process can mean many months or even years without benefits. In turn, this can result in a significant reduction in one’s quality of life. Disabled applicants who desperately need benefits may lose their livelihoods. They can lose their savings. Without consistent work, they may have trouble supporting their families.

This is why it’s absolutely critical that applicants contact a lawyer before contacting a Social Security Office in Florida. If you, the applicant, are prepared with a lawyer on your side, you can significantly increase your likelihood of approval.

In fact, statistics show that application denial is significantly more prevalent than application approval. Across the nation, roughly 65% of initial disability claims are denied, and about 85% of reconsideration appeals are denied.

How Can Florida Social Security Disability Attorneys Help You ?

Lawyers are crucial for a number of reasons. Not only do lawyers improve your likelihood of approval, but they also help to streamline the process. Any mistake a disability applicant makes can complicate and slow the process. With an attorney, you can minimize such mistakes and get your benefits approved much more quickly.

Although it is not guaranteed, approval is certainly more likely if you have an attorney at your side. Florida Social Security Disability attorneys can be helpful in many ways. Whereas other states provide short-term disability benefits, Florida does not.

These benefits are typically awarded to those who are injured or sick and unable to work. In Florida, a worker’s best alternative is to use disability insurance through an employer. Without this insurance program, workers basically only have one option. This option is to pursue benefits through the Social Security Administration (SSA). As of now, the SSA offers two programs for disabled individuals.

These two programs are the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) programs. Florida Disability Lawyers can assist you in finding the program right for you. Occasionally, an applicant may qualify for benefits under both programs. 

SSDI is administered to disabled recipients with sufficient work histories. Meanwhile, SSI is administered to recipients of limited means. SSI recipients do not need to have worked for a particular period of time.

SSA’s Definition of Disability

Although recipients of SSI payments do not necessarily need to be disabled, many SSI applicants apply on the basis of disability. With respect to both SSI and SSDI programs, the Social Security Administration relies on the same definition of disability.

The Disability Lawyers In Florida can help you prove that you have a total disability. In other words, you must provide ample medical and vocational documentation. You must show that your disabling condition is medically determinable, and that it is severe and lasting.

An Applicant’s Disability Must:

  • Prevent the applicant from engaging in any substantial gainful activity (SGA); and
  • Be expected to last at least 12 continuous months; or
  • Have already lasted for at least 12 continuous months; or
    Be expected to lead to death

These terms are specific for a reason. They help to remove applicants who are not fully disabled from the pool. These criteria also eliminate applicants who are disabled but only partially or temporarily. Again, proving this can be very difficult.

Proving the duration of a continuous disability may require extensive medical diagnoses, reports, and test results. An applicant may also have to show treatment forms and work forms.

It may also be difficult to prove that a disability is expected to lead to death. This will typically require the expert opinions and observations of a seasoned medical professional.

What is the Role of Disability Lawyers in Florida in Getting Benefits?

In addition to the aforementioned medical documentation, you may also need extensive information to prove that you are not engaging in SGA. The term, substantial gainful activity (SGA), refers to a minimum monthly earning amount. This amount is associated with certain work capacity and ability. The rationale is that if you are capable of earning such an amount, you will not be deemed to be disabled.

The Social Security Act allows a higher SGA amount for blind individuals than for non-blind individuals. As of 2022, a blind individual can make up to $2260 monthly. For non-blind individuals, the SGA amount is $1350 monthly.

Your Florida Social Security Administration attorney can assist you in proving all of these aspects. When you are applying for disability in Florida, it is vital that you and your attorney review all of your information. Feel free to obtain supplemental medical and work information as well. Do not assume that you are disabled simply because you have trouble working.

In many cases, the Social Security Administration (SSA) will rely on its “blue book.” This extensive listing features many common disabling conditions that affect Social Security recipients. However, many applicants for Social Security have conditions that aren’t listed.

If you do not have a listed condition, you will have to further prove the extent of your impairment(s). The best Social Security disability attorney will help you do this.

If you need help with Disability in Florida, you need the Nationwide Disability Representatives. Our team focuses extensively on SSDI and SSI cases. We handle both applications and denials.