Johns Creek
Social Security Disability Lawyer

Social Security Disability (SSID) is supposed to be a safety net to help those who have worked hard for a living and are no longer able to. Unfortunately, Johns Creek SSID claims are often turned down for the flimsiest reasons.

These include everything from improperly completed paperwork to disputes over how serious your health condition truly is. But the result is the same either way: people with legitimate health problems are denied benefits just when they need them most. If you are facing an SSID application, either for the first time or on appeal, do not go it alone. Get a Johns Creek Social Security Disability lawyer on your side.  

At John Foy & Associates we understand how to get applications approved. For more than 20 years, our legal team has sided with people who are injured or sick and need the benefits of SSID. We know the reasons why applications get turned down and how to prove your case so that you get the benefits you deserve.

Let us give you a FREE consultation and show you how we can help you with your case. Call us at 404-400-4000 and get your free consultation today.

What Should I Know About SSID in Johns Creek?

If you have worked in the past and are no longer able to, SSID was designed to help you get by. It is a federal program administered by the Social Security Administration (SSA), and the application process can be grueling. Getting approved, however, can mean a steady check to help with rent, groceries and other bills. For many people who are unable to work, it’s a necessity.  

SSID has two main requirements in order for someone to qualify:

1. You need to have worked enough. SSID is funded by Social Security deductions from workers’ paychecks. In other words, if you worked in the past, you have paid into the system for years and you have a right to benefits when you need them. The SSA uses a system of “work credits” to decide if you have worked enough to qualify. Generally, if you have worked when possible over the past 10 years, you probably have enough credits—even if you worked part time or intermittently.  
2. You need to have a valid medical condition that prevents you from working. In addition, your condition needs to be expected to last a year or longer. Terminal conditions also qualify. The SSA allows a broad range of conditions to count, depending on how severe they are and whether they can prevent someone from working. But in most cases, the SSA makes a case-by case decision based on your specific diagnosis and situation.  

For most people, proving your medical condition is the most challenging part. It’s not enough to simply have a diagnosis; you have to have evidence that it’s severe enough that you cannot work.  

How do I Prove My Medical Condition or Disability?

Your medical condition will basically fall into one of three categories:

1. Conditions that automatically qualify. This is rare and it’s usually an extremely serious condition, like aggressive cancer.  
2. Conditions that qualify if they’re severe enough. Many medical conditions will prevent a person from working if they’re very severe, but may not in less severe cases. This is why you need more than a diagnosis.
3. Conditions that you have to prove on your own. Some medical conditions aren’t even listen on the SSA’s index of disabling conditions. But, you can make a case that your condition still prevents you from working. With the right evidence, you can still get approved.  

What we find is that even in the first two categories, it’s better to provide as much evidence as possible. You don’t want there to be any question about the severity of your condition.  

But not all evidence carries equal weight with the SSA. Here is how we prove your disability:

• Getting you to the right doctor. Not every doctor understands every condition, and the ones the SSA refers you to often have a high patient load. A specialist who takes the time to understand your case can give you a much more accurate diagnosis
• A detailed opinion. Simply getting a diagnosis from a doctor does not help as much as a detailed letter from that doctor explaining your case. A doctor’s formal opinion goes a long way the with SSA.  
• A journal. You may live with pain every day, or it may flare up at times. We can help you put together a chronological journal that shows exactly how your condition affects your life.  
• Objective testimony. The observations and opinions of an outside third party, such as a former employer or a community leader, can help strengthen your case.  They prove that others have seen firsthand how your disability impacts you.  

How do I Know If I Worked Enough in the Past to Qualify?

We can help you find out. But the short answer is: if you’ve worked much in the past 10 years, there’s a good chance you qualify.  

Under SSA rules, you can earn up to 4 work credits per year. You only need 20 credits in the past decade to be eligible for SSID. So an individual who works full time will usually meet the requirements in just five years.  

Of course, not everyone is able to get steady full-time work. But if you worked at all in a year, you earned one work credit for every $1,320 of wages you made. Thus, even a part-time or seasonal employee will earn credits—and could potentially earn the maximum of 4 credits/year.  

We know this system is clunky. No one wants to sit down and divide up all their past income to see how many “credits” they got. We can get you the answer in minutes, and if you’ve worked at all, there’s a good chance you qualify. Even if you didn’t work enough, you could also qualify for benefits through another federal program based on your income.  

You don’t have to face a complicated system alone. Talk to a lawyer and get your SSID application on the fast track.  

Talk to a Johns Creek Social Security Disability Lawyer for Free

The last thing you need when you can’t work is months of appealing your application—with no benefits until it’s resolved. John Foy & Associates has been getting people approved for SSID for over 20 years. Let us give you a free consultation and help you.

Call us at 404-400-4000 or fill out the form to your right and get your free consultation today.