Can’t Work and Need Financial Relief? Get Social Security Disability Help in Hammond.
It’s great living on the south shore of Lake Michigan at the eastern gateway to Chicago. Hammond, Indiana, is a wonderful place to live, work and raise a family.
But that happy life gets thrown off when your health takes a bad turn. And if your condition is severe enough, it may end your ability to earn a living. The next thing you know, you’re worrying about every bill coming to the door.
Social Security Disability benefits were created to calm that fear. They provide monthly payments to ease the burden of your health care and daily living. It’s money you earned by paying Social Security taxes.
But even though you paid into it, Social Security doesn’t make it easy for you to make a withdrawal. You have to prove that you can’t work because of your medical condition, and that your impairment will last at least a year.
Most first-time applicants are denied.
A skilled Hammond disability lawyer can help, and the team at Nash Disability Law is one of the top disability firms in Chicagoland for the volume of benefits we have won our clients.
We can help you get the Social Security Disability benefits you need to get your life to a better place.
Available Social Security Disability Benefits in Hammond
Whether you can no longer work, or could never work much because of your health problems, Social Security’s disability benefits may be a crucial part of stabilizing your life.
Social Security runs two distinct programs for people who are below retirement age but whose medical impairments won’t let them participate in “substantial gainful activity,” which is Social Security’s definition of being able to work.
Just like the rest of the country, these programs are available in Hammond, regardless of whether you worked close to home or commuted into Chicago.
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). This is what most people refer to when they talk about disability benefits. It’s the main program that everyone who collects a paycheck pays into. Over the course of your working years, you earn credits—up to four a year—related to your income.
Generally, you need at least 40 credits—half of which you must have earned in the last 10 years—to be eligible for SSDI. There are exceptions for younger workers who find themselves unable to work because of health problems.
Supplemental Security Income (SSI). SSI is for people with few resources and not enough of a recent work history to qualify for SSDI. To qualify, you still must meet Social Security’s definition of disability—that you can’t work for at least a year because of your health condition—but your monthly benefits come regardless of what you paid into the system.
In some cases, you may qualify for both programs.
Where you fall on the ladder of disability benefits can be hard to determine. The paperwork is thick and collecting your medical records and work history is both tedious and must be done carefully.
Having an experienced disability lawyer in Hammond who can take a look at your case, get to know you, and chart the best path forward for your Social Security Disability application is a lifeline during a challenging time.
The Hammond disability lawyers at Nash Disability Law will stay with you throughout the journey, whether you’re applying or fighting a denial.
Give us a call today, and we will evaluate your case free of charge. You pay no attorney fees until you win disability benefits.
How to Get Started on a Social Security Disability Application in Hammond
Social Security covers the nation. It’s a huge bureaucracy. To handle all those claims, it has an involved process. That makes it challenging when you’re seeking help because your health keeps you out of a job.
The process to apply for Social Security Disability benefits follows these basic steps:
Check your eligibility. Again, you have to prove your medical condition keeps you from working for at least a year. To show this, the government will review your medical records, including your diagnoses, doctors’ notes, treatment plans, any test results and other documents that demonstrate your health challenges. Next, you must provide details of your work history to demonstrate how your health makes it impossible for you to sustain your past work or other work, considering factors such as your age, education level and previous work experience.
Fill out the forms. Social Security has a library of forms. Not all of them will apply to your situation. You have to know which ones to submit, and even the smallest mistake—whether you left out information or failed to fill out the proper form—can result in a denial.
Be prepared to wait. Processing a Social Security application takes a lot of time. If you have to appeal, each step in that process adds more months to your case.
If you live in Hammond, you have an advantage. The disability lawyers at Nash have been helping people in Hammond and the greater Chicago area for more than 40 years.
We pride ourselves on building each case with care and compassion for every client.
When your health keeps you from earning a living, we can help you find some peace of mind.