Social Security Disability Attorney Farmers Branch

Farmers Branch, Texas, is a mid-sized city in Dallas County that originated in the early 1850s and was incorporated in 1946. The current population is about 30,000, and most of the residents are honest, hardworking people leading regular lives. Whether you are working for JPMorgan Chase, IBM, the IRS or Geico, you most likely depend on your paycheck to support your family. When that paycheck no longer arrives because of a disabling injury or illness, the financial stress begins to build almost immediately.

The good news is the federal government recognized the problems disabilities can cause for an individual or a family and, in 1956, they created a federal disability insurance program for U.S. workers. This program is known as Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), and it allows qualified workers to receive a monthly benefit to help keep their heads above water.

While many people confuse SSDI for an income-based handout, it is important to understand that it is just an insurance policy managed by the Social Security Administration (SSA). U.S. workers pay the premiums on the policy through their payroll taxes. Anyone who has enough recent work history and a qualifying disability will receive SSDI benefits in return for having sufficiently paid into the program.

To qualify for benefits from SSDI, you need a minimum number of work credits within a given timeframe based on the age when you became disabled. You generally receive one credit per quarter of full-time work, and the majority of these credits must have been earned recently. For example, a 24-year-old worker has to have only six work credits in the previous three years while someone who is 31 has to have 20 work credits in the last 10 years.

• Once you meet the requirements for your work credits, you must still prove that you have a qualifying disability that prevents you from engaging in substantial gainful activity (SGA). In other words, you no longer have the ability to earn a living. 
• The SSA has a list of qualifying conditions that are recognized as being severe disabilities, but generally, the physical or psychological impairments must be expected to result in your death or last for a minimum of one year.
• If you qualify for SSDI benefits, you will receive monthly benefits starting on the fifth month after you became disabled, and the amount of this benefit is calculated as a percentage of your lifetime average earnings.
• In writing, SSDI seems exceptionally cut and dry, but the system is not without its problems. The review process can take several months, and appeals can take years. Completing the application can also be stressful, confusing, and tiresome for someone who is newly disabled.

In Farmers Branch, TX, you can ask for an application at the SSA office in Dallas, or you can access it online through the SSA website. Before you apply, however, you are expected to gather your relevant medical records and other evidence of your disability, and you will need to write a personal statement using medical terminology.

Getting Help from SSD Attorney in Farmers Branch

You have the right to hire an experienced representative practicing disability law to represent you through the entire SSDI approval process. Our experienced team understands all the current laws affecting SSDI and is knowledgeable about the system. We will also complete the application on your behalf and gather your medical records. Most importantly, you will be emotionally relieved to have an experienced professional by your side if you have to appear at a hearing.