Your Los Angeles Supplemental Security Income Lawyer

• Have limited income
• Have limited resources
• Be a U.S. citizen or national
• Be a resident of one of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, or the Northern Mariana Islands
• Not be confined to an institution at the government’s expense, such as a hospital or prison
• Not be absent from the country for an entire calendar month or for 30 or more consecutive days
• Apply for other benefits for which you may be eligible
• Provide SSA permission to access financial records

If your claim is denied a second time, you may then request a hearing before an administrative law judge (ALJ). At this stage, you will appear in front of the judge and present your case. Witnesses, such as doctors who have treated you, may speak at the hearing to support your claim.

While you’re not required to have an attorney present at your hearing, it is extremely beneficial, as a legal professional will present the facts of your claim and give you the best chance of an approval. However, if the ALJ also denies your claim, you may continue to the federal court level.

In disability determinations, the SSA’s claims examiners will use the Blue Book, which lists impairments that the agency automatically considers to be qualifying disabilities. If your condition is not already listed here, the claims examiner will review what’s known as your residual functional capacity (RFC) to determine whether your condition is disabling.

Yes. Because SSI is a needs-based disability program, your income and assets must fall under the SSA’s strict limits, in addition to having a qualifying disability. If your “countable income” exceeds $783 for individuals and $1,175 a month for a married couple, you will likely not be eligible for SSI. Keep in mind that these numbers do fluctuate every year, but the income limit is usually around this range.

When referring to SSI, the following financial resources and assets that have a monetary value count towards the income limit:

• Money earned from a job, self-employment, or any other type of work
• Income from investments
• Social Security benefits
• Unemployment benefits
• Veteran’s benefits
• Gifts or resources from family or friends, including a free place to live
• Checking and savings accounts
• Property other than the home you live in
• Vehicles other than the one you drive
• Commercial rental property

Qualifying for disability benefits under SSI as a non-citizen is complex. In addition to meeting the basic medical and technical requirements, the SSA states that you must also:

• Be a “qualified alien”
• Meet one of the predefined “conditions” or circumstances for eligibility

To be considered a “qualified alien,” non-citizens must meet one of the following:

• You’re a Lawfully Admitted Permanent Resident (LAPR) of the United States.
• You’re an immigrant conditionally admitted to the U.S. before April 1, 1980
• Certain refugees or individuals that have been granted asylum
• Some survivors of human trafficking
• Under specific circumstances, you’re a parolee in the U.S. for a period of one year or more
• You’re a Haitian or Cuban non-citizen who was granted admittance to the U.S. under the Refugee Education and Assistance Act of 1980

RFC, or residual functional capacity, is an assessment of your capabilities that demonstrates the nature of your condition and how severely it affects your everyday life. With this in mind, your medical records and other documentation from your doctor are vitally important to the success of your claim. A claims examiner will expect to see solid proof of your diagnosis, treatment, and how the condition limits you.

Dr. Bill LaTour and his team assist disabled individuals and their families in Colton, Los Angeles, and cities throughout Southern California with their SSI applications and appeals. From the moment you call us, our experienced Los Angeles Supplemental Security Income lawyers will work hard for you, making sure you have the proper documents, coordinating with the SSA on your behalf, and keeping you updated throughout the lengthy process of obtaining SSI benefits.

Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is a benefit for disabled people who have worked five of the past ten years and have paid into Social Security through income tax. This requirement doesn’t apply to applicants under the age of 22 who lack sufficient work history.

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a benefit that’s based on financial needs for adults and children who are disabled or otherwise impaired, limiting their income. The primary difference with SSI is that it isn’t funded by Social Security tax but rather by general tax revenue.

When you apply for SSI, you must provide objective medical evidence from an acceptable medical source in order to be accepted. An acceptable medical source can include the following medical professionals:

• Licensed physicians
• Licensed optometrists
• Licensed psychologists
• Licensed physician assistants
• Licensed podiatrists
• Licensed advanced practice registered nurses
• Licensed audiologists
• Speech-language pathologists

One or more of these medical professionals must provide medical evidence to prove your disability. Evidence from other practitioners, such as therapists and chiropractors, is only used after a disability is established by accepted medical professionals.

Children under the age of 18 with documented disabilities may qualify for SSI benefits. Eligibility is based on the nature of the child’s disability and their parent or guardian’s income and assets. Dr. Bill can help you determine if your child is eligible and begin the process of seeking the benefits you and your family need.

If your application for SSI was denied, you have several options:

• Hire an attorney to file the appeal
• Call the Social Security office to appeal by phone
• File your appeal online on the administration website
• File your appeal in person at the local Social Security office

Keep in mind that you have 60 days to file an appeal. If you miss this deadline, you have to submit a new application. Dr. Bill can help you file your appeal quickly and efficiently. Contact our Los Angeles Supplemental Security Income lawyers today to get started!

If your SSI application was denied, you have four chances to appeal it and get the money you need. With the help of an experienced SSI attorney, like Dr. Bill LaTour, your appeal may be accepted in the first level of appeals, reconsideration. If not it is not approved at the reconsideration level, you can appeal your case three more times in the following levels:

• Administrative law judge hearing
• Appeals council review
• Federal court

Appeals get more complicated as you move through the levels, but an experienced Los Angeles Supplemental Security Income lawyer can help you file your application and handle any appeals if necessary.

Marriage can potentially change the amount of your SSI benefits or may make you ineligible. When you get married, your spouse’s income and assets may reduce your benefits or disqualify you for SSI, based on combined household income and assets. If you’re both receiving SSI, the benefit amount will change to a couple’s rate from an individual rate. Dr. Bill can review your circumstances and help you determine what SSI you may be eligible for if you are married.

SSI has work incentives that help you earn some income without losing your SSI benefits. You’ll have an earnings limit that you can make per month without affecting your benefits. If you make more than that, you’ll get $1 less for every $2 you earn. If your earnings and any other income exceed the SSI limits, you’ll stop receiving benefits. If your income drops below the SSI limits again in the future, you’ll get benefits again.