Our services and how a disability case works

We represent people with Social Security disability claims, SSDI and SSI, at every SSA level: the initial application, reconsideration, the hearing before an administrative law judge and the Appeals Council. There is no fee unless you win, and we work with claimants in all 50 states.

Below is what we do, who we help, how a case moves from filing to decision, and how the fee is paid.

Services we provide

Social Security disability is the only kind of claim we handle. Depending on where your claim stands, we can:

• Assess your claim before you apply. We look at your work history, your medical records and SSA’s rules to see which benefits may fit.
• Prepare and file your application. We help you complete the application and disability report, list every treating provider and describe your limits in terms SSA uses.
• Appeal a denial. We file reconsideration and hearing requests on time and build the record with new evidence.
• Represent you at your hearing. We prepare your file and your testimony, and we question any vocational or medical expert the judge calls.
• Request Appeals Council review. If a judge denies your claim, we review the decision and whether to ask for review.
• Deal with SSA for you. Once you appoint us, we can get information from your SSA file, respond to SSA’s requests and track every deadline.

Who we help

Most of the people who call us have already been denied at least once. We also help people who have not applied yet, and several groups with their own SSA rules:

• Veterans filing for SSDI. Social Security disability is separate from VA disability, with different rules, and SSA says receiving one does not reduce the other. SSA may expedite claims for veterans with a 100% permanent and total VA rating and for veterans disabled during active service on or after October 1, 2001. We handle the SSDI claim, not the VA claim.
• Disabled widows and widowers (DWB). A widow or widower aged 50 to 60 may qualify on a deceased spouse’s record if the disability began before, or within seven years of, the spouse’s death. SSA does not take these applications online.
• Adults disabled since childhood (CDB, also called DAC). An unmarried adult whose disability began before age 22 may qualify on a parent’s record if the parent is deceased or receiving retirement or disability benefits.

Each of these is decided on its own facts. See who qualifies for SSA’s general rules.

How a case moves, stage by stage

1. The application. You apply for SSDI, SSI or both. A state Disability Determination Services (DDS) office reviews your application and medical records and decides whether you meet SSA’s definition of disability. SSA pays only for a condition that keeps you from substantial work and has lasted, or is expected to last, at least 12 months or to result in death.

2. Reconsideration. If you are denied, you generally have 60 days from receiving the notice to ask for reconsideration. SSA assumes you received the notice five days after its date. A DDS examiner reviews your request, your original application and any new evidence.

3. The hearing. If reconsideration is denied, you have 60 days to request a hearing before an administrative law judge. SSA sends notice at least 75 days before the hearing. Written evidence is due no later than 5 business days before the hearing date. Hearings may be held by online video, phone or in person, and the judge issues a written decision afterward. Read more about hearing representation.

4. The Appeals Council. If the judge denies your claim, you have 60 days after receiving the decision to ask SSA’s Appeals Council for review. It can deny review, decide the case or send it back to a judge.

5. Federal court. After the Appeals Council, the last option is a civil action in a U.S. district court. That step is outside our scope.

SSA notes that you may not have to go through every level. For the deadlines and rules at each one, see Social Security disability appeals.

SSDI timing to know

For SSDI, benefits generally start after a five-month waiting period, with the first payment for the sixth full month after the date SSA finds your disability began. SSA can pay up to 12 months of benefits before the month you applied. That is one reason to appeal a denial rather than start over.

How the fee works

There is no fee unless you win. SSA sets and approves the fee, and it is paid from your past-due benefits.

• Under SSA’s fee agreement process, the fee is the lesser of 25% of past-due benefits or $9,200, for favorable decisions issued on or after November 30, 2024.
• You and your representative sign the fee agreement before your claim is decided, and SSA reviews it.
• For representatives eligible for direct payment, SSA generally withholds up to 25% of your past-due benefits, pays the approved fee and sends you the rest.
• A representative cannot charge more than SSA authorizes. Out-of-pocket expenses, such as charges for copies of medical records, are handled separately under SSA’s rules, and your agreement explains how.

For more on the credential and the fee, see your representative.

Working with us from another state

Our only office is in Holladay, Utah, but we represent claimants in all 50 states. Hearings can be held by online video or phone, so your representative does not need to be local.

Here is how it works from a distance:

• We talk by phone. Our staff answer the phone, and most of the case can be handled by phone and mail.
• You sign forms remotely. Appointment forms, the fee agreement and medical releases can be sent to you to sign.
• We gather records from your providers. Your doctors and clinics can be anywhere. We request records directly once you authorize it.
• We know your hearing office. SSA publishes approval rates and wait times for each hearing office. You can look up yours on hearing offices.

If you already have a representative, we can take over only if that person agrees to waive their fee. To talk about your case, contact us.

Common questions

Can you help if I have not applied yet?

Yes. We help with initial applications as well as appeals.

Do you handle SSI as well as SSDI?

Yes. We handle both, at every SSA level, including claims where you may qualify for both.

I receive VA disability. Can you help with Social Security?

Yes, with the SSDI or SSI claim. The two programs are separate, and SSA says SSDI and VA compensation do not affect each other. We do not handle VA claims.