The Federal Government administers a program called Social Security; this program is designed to provide some financial support to those who have reached retirement age as well as those that have not reached retirement age but suffer from a physical or mental disability that stops them from working full time.
It is rarely an issue when the individual has retired and applies for his or her retirement benefits, really all that is needed is identification and the applicants Social Security number, in two or three months the benefits will start. Unfortunately the same thing cannot be said when the person is applying for disability benefits, in the majority of cases the applicant will turn to Social Security lawyers in Missouri for help due to the complexity of the application process.
If a person is disabled and retired the retirement benefits will suffice but for those that have yet to reach that age but can prove beyond doubt that they are disabled and unable to work full-time, they may be able to collect benefits. The rules that apply to the amount of retirement benefit and the amount available to a disabled person are different, for the disabled the payment is all based on their having sufficient work credits. Work credits are granted based on ones income, a maximum of four work credits can be earned in a year and the person must have at least 40 credits, 20 of which have been earned during the last ten years. If the applicant does not meet these rules he or she may be eligible for Supplemental Security Income which is also administered by the SSA and is not based on work credits, rather it is based on income. SSI is that program which is most often used by minimum income earners, the blind and children.
Most people are aware that in the US there is a system of Social Security but very few of them know or have any reason to know the ins and outs of how it works. It would be rare for a layperson to be as intimate with the rules and regulations that apply to Social Security; this is very much the area of expertise of Social Security lawyers in Missouri. Most applications for Social Security disability benefits are denied first hand, the percentages vary little whether the applicant has a lawyer at this time or not. However, once the appeals process is tackled, that is when a lawyer is most beneficial. When the claimant faces a hearing along with his or her lawyer, the greatest majority of claims are approved, this cannot be said for those who try to handle the hearing independently.
For more information visit the site grundydisabilitygroup.com.
