Steve Hood only gets paid if we win. By law, I can only charge 25% of your back pay of disability benefits, only if we win.
Hiring Steve Hood to represent you, and getting as much treatment as possible from a doctor for each of your illnesses and/or injuries who supports your application is vital.
A successful application can take anywhere from 6 to 18 months to process, depending on your case. Applications which require a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge take longer to process.
Yes. Provided you are not earning money from work-related activities, there is no limit to the amount of other income you can receive in addition to your Social Security payments. This includes income from rents, trust payments and other financial investments. Individuals applying for SSI benefits are subject to other certain requirements.
Depending on your circumstances, you may be able to return to work without jeopardizing your disability benefits. Even if you return to work for a short period of time after your disability, or for a longer time on a part-time basis, you still may be entitled to make a claim for the full period of disability.
Yes. That’s how Steve Hood can help. In our experience, many rejected claims are later approved on appeal or after a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge, but you need a lawyer’s help.
The amount of the Social Security benefits you can receive is calculated by Social Security, dependent on your earnings history. It could be anywhere from several hundred to a few thousand dollars per month.
You can receive disability benefits until death, or until you reach full retirement age or until your medical condition improves enough for you to return to work on a full-time basis for a nine month period or more.
No. You can be found disabled by the Social Security Administration at any age. If someone is over the age of 50, specific regulations often make it easier to obtain benefits.
Yes. Disability beneficiaries are entitled to receive auxiliary benefits for minor children at a rate of approximately 40% of the disabled person’s monthly payment.
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI, also known as DIB) benefits are paid to a disabled individual based on his or her earnings. The person must be insured. To be insured, the person must have worked recently and paid Social Security taxes. Most people must have worked for 5 out of the last 10 years, but younger workers can qualify with less work.
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) provides monthly disability payments to disabled individuals who have not worked long enough to qualify for SSDI, and who also meet Social Security’s financial eligibility requirements. The person must have income and assets below a certain level. SSI benefits are not based on earnings and a person can qualify regardless of whether he or she has ever worked. Some workers with limited resources can qualify for both SSDI or SSI.
These benefits are paid to individuals who meet certain criteria:
1) the person was married to a worker who was insured for Social Security disability benefits;
2) the person is between the ages of 50 and 60;
3) the person is disabled as defined by Social Security law; and
4) became disabled before their spouse’s death or within 7 years of the spouse’s death.