Your Pueblo, CO, Disability Lawyers
If you’re disabled from illness or injury and you can’t work, you may be entitled to receive Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits. Yet, getting the benefits you need to survive isn’t easy even if you’ve spent your entire adult life working. Your bills don’t stop coming in just because you are unable to work and your Social Security Disability claim was denied. Most people who apply for SSD are denied and have to go through the appeals process. If you’re part of the 70% of disabled people denied for SSD, call Heuser & Heuser at 719-543-9999.
Receiving Social Security Disability in Pueblo
To receive Social Security Disability, you must meet certain requirements. The first requirement is that the physical, mental illness, or physical injury must have kept you from working for at least the last 12 months. You must also have paid enough Social Security taxes throughout your life to qualify. According to the Social Security Administration (SSA), an employee pays approximately 7.65% of their paycheck toward Social Security. An employer matches that amount.
If you don’t qualify for SSD, it’s possible that you may qualify for Supplemental Security Income benefits (SSI). To qualify for SSI, your income and assets cannot exceed a certain threshold. For 2018, the Federal Benefit Rate which limits the income for SSI is $750 per month for individuals and $1,125 per month for couples. However, not all of your income necessarily counts toward that limit. If you’re interested in applying for Social Security Disability or Supplemental Security Income benefits, call Heuser & Heuser at 719-543-9999.
Social Security Disability Denied in Pueblo? Call Us
Even if you submit all of your medical records, properly fill out the application, and answer any question that’s asked of you by the SSA, there’s a likelihood that your SSD claim will be denied. One of the hardest parts of the denial is waiting for it. Getting an approval (or denial) for your benefits is a waiting game. You could wait months.
Around 2/3 of all Social Security Disability applicants are denied when they apply. The most common reasons for denial include:
- SSA doesn’t believe that your illness or injury has disabled you
- You haven’t paid enough in Social Security taxes
- You didn’t provide enough evidence to prove that you’re disabled
If you’re in Pueblo and you were denied for Social Security Disability, call Heuser & Heuser at 719-543-9999 to schedule your initial consultation. With more than 30 years of experience, we’re available to discuss your denial.
Options After Social Security Denial
If you’re denied Social Security Disability, you have options. However, without the help of an experienced Social Security Disability attorney, the likelihood of getting your appeal approved is slim. You can represent yourself or you can call Heuser & Heuser at 719-543-9999 to improve your chances of getting your appeal approved.
How Can Heuser & Heuser Help?
Successfully obtaining Social Security Disability requires navigating a complex process within the SSA and being prepared for both the claim and the appeal. To successfully appeal, you must be able to prove that the SSA’s panel erred in deciding that you’re not disabled.
You only have 60 days to appeal the denial after you receive it. Having Heuser & Heuser represent you during the appeals process increases the chance that your appeal will be successful.
Heuser & Heuser can help you prepare for your appeal by helping you gather the proper documentation for your disability to present to the SSA at the right time during the appeal. This includes documentation on how your condition has changed during the time that you’ve waited for an answer and waited through the appeals process. It’s important for you to understand that the appeals process can take longer than the initial application process, but you shouldn’t just re-apply for SSD. Your application would very likely be denied again. You must go through the appeals process.
Heuser & Heuser will organize the facts related to your disability to help get your claim approved at the end of the appeal. We can help you prepare for your disability hearing. With more than 30 years of experience handling these claims, we understand the questions that will be asked of medical experts and vocational experts who will determine what they think that you can do.
We can help prepare witnesses to testify on your behalf, if necessary. The Appeals Council for Social Security Disability allows you to have two witnesses. The witnesses who would be best for your case depend strongly on your situation.
While Waiting for Social Security Disability
If you’re in Pueblo, Colorado and you’re waiting for a decision related to your claim for social security disability, you may have some other avenues you can explore.
- Depending on your condition and your age, you may qualify for Medicare. Medicare can help with the expense of hospital stays, medical care, and prescription drugs.
- If your income is below a certain amount, you may qualify for Medicaid. Medicaid can help you with medical expenses related to your condition.
- If you’re a Veteran, you may be eligible to receive Veteran Disability benefits if you’re at least 10% disabled from an illness or injury received or made worse during the time you served our country.
Permanent Disability Is Hard Enough to Deal With
When you’re disabled from an illness or injury and you can’t work, that’s a hard enough reality to face. Cutting through the bureaucratic red tape to have people who’ve never met you decide whether or not you’re truly disabled makes the situation even worse. If you’re denied Social Security Disability, call Heuser & Heuser at 719-543-9999 to schedule a consultation. We understand how the SSA works and how the appeals process can be best managed. You’re not alone if you’ve been denied. Your chance of a successful appeal is better when you rely on Heuser & Heuser. Let us help you get the benefits that you need to survive.