Heard & Smith's attorneys have been helping clients obtain Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits for over twenty-five years. Under these Social Security programs, individuals receive monthly checks and medical benefits. If you are not working because of an illness, an injury or emotional problems, you may be eligible to receive SSDI or SSI benefits. Our lawyers can aid in your appeal if you have been denied benefits.

This website is designed to provide useful information on disability laws, your rights and the ways in which our Social Security lawyers can significantly improve your chances of obtaining benefits. The attorney's fee is limited to 25% of the back award, or $5300, whichever is less. No fees are taken from the monthly checks you receive after benefits are awarded. If you do not receive benefits, or if there is no back award in your case, then no fee is charged.

There are important distinctions between the SSDI and SSI programs:

• Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) provides benefits to disabled people (including certain disabled dependents) who have paid into the Social Security trust fund through Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) taxes.
  

• Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a needs-based providing financial aid to disabled people who meet low-income guidelines. SSI program benefits are available to the disabled regardless of their employment history.

According to the Social Security Act, to qualify for disability payments (either SSDI or SSI) you must prove that you cannot do any work for which you are suited due to a medical condition that is expected to last for a minimum of a year, or is terminal. While an estimated 6.5 million people received Social Security benefits last year, many first time applicants were denied and others had their benefits terminated. Insufficient medical proof of a disabling physical or mental impairment is often to blame for a negative outcome.

Our firm is available for legal support throughout the claims process and can offer invaluable assistance in all of your interactions with the Social Security Administration. We accept clients even before their applications are filed. We can help you complete applications and other forms and collect medical records or other necessary documentation. Your attorney will help appeal your claim if you are denied benefits and will ensure that all requirements and deadlines are met. If you must appear before a Social Security Administrative Law Judge in a hearing to determine your eligibility for disability, your attorney will prepare you for the hearing and present your case before the judge.

If you need help in filing or appealing a social security claim, it is important to have expert legal help. Please contact Heard & Smith today at (210) 820-3737 or toll free at: (800) 584-3700, or contact us via our website.

Attorneys practicing:
John R. Heard, Chester Brown, Suzanne Villalon-Hinojosa, Pamela R. Craig, Jaime Javier Pena, Kathleen L. Day

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Social Security Disability Income FAQs

Supplemental Security Income FAQs