From 2/1/02, through 6/21/09, the fee cap was $5300. As of 6/22/09, the fee cap raised to $6000. That is a $700 increase per case not $6000, assuming that the past-due benefits exceed $24,000. And that increase took seven years to be approved. In cases in which the past due benefits are $21,200 or less, there is no increase in the fee at all since 25% of that is still $5300.

In cases that there is worker's compensation, the past-due benefits can be quite low, even if the case has taken years. In cases in which the claim is approved quickly, there may not even be any past-due benefits. In claims that are denied, there will be zero past-due benefits.

Hiring an attorney is a choice. Signing a fee agreement is a choice. The problem is that if a person chooses to gamble that they can get a favorable decision without an attorney (and it happens every day), they are making a choice that may not go in their favor. So that fear drives the attorney fee business. And there are attorneys who make money because of it. It is a free market economy with some oversight by SSA. No doubt there are leeches in the SSA attorney fee business. Scummy people are in every industry.

Personally, I like living in a country in which I can own six cars and two houses if I work hard enough.