[legalmania]

Hi I'm a newbie, I help people get their benefits, so I know what some of you have been through. Do you know people actually die waiting for benefits? I think that is awful. It use to be attorneys would not touch Social Security but somewhere a law was passed and they can now get up to $5,000.

[Hoosier_Daddy]

It is now 6,000

[legalmania]

Oh it's going up by the month now, hurry and get your claims in.

[shannon12]

Originally Posted by legalmania

Hi I'm a newbie, I help people get their benefits, so I know what some of you have been through. Do you know people actually die waiting for benefits? I think that is awful. It use to be attorneys would not touch Social Security but somewhere a law was passed and they can now get up to $5,000.

Hi,

I'm a newbie too. What do you do to help people get their benefits? Is this your occupation?

[SSDIHelp]

Originally Posted by legalmania

Hi I'm a newbie, I help people get their benefits, so I know what some of you have been through. Do you know people actually die waiting for benefits? I think that is awful. It use to be attorneys would not touch Social Security but somewhere a law was passed and they can now get up to $5,000.

A lot of lawyers attempt to draw out a case through all the appeals processes and then request from the judge a higher fee because of the amount of work done on the case.
the cloaimant does not have to agree to a higher amount, they just have to accept the judge's decision, The last time I looked on the SSA website the fees were up to $6500.

[Janke]

You said you help people get benefits, yet you provide incorrect information. Lawyers have been able to charge fees for representation for decades. The maximum fee has changed over the years, but it has always been 25% of retroactive benefits up to the cap; $4000, $5300 and now $6000.

Attorneys can also petition the Social Security Administration for a higher fee. Happens more often if they go to District Court, two levels above the ALJ.

Attorneys do not have a great deal of control over the length of the appeals process. There is alot of time that a case sits and waits to be assigned to disability examiner or an ALJ. There is alot of time that is spent waiting for medical treating sources to respond. There are a lot of cases in the pipeline. In a dire need case, a claim can be moved ahead of the others, but everyone who is waiting is in need.

The fee agreement has to be signed by both parties before a decision is made and before a fee is approved. No one should sign a contract that they don't agree with. But legal expertise costs money. Lawyers need to pay their bills too. They can work on a case for years and get no money at all if it is never approved.

[legalmania]

Originally Posted by shannon12

Hi,

I'm a newbie too. What do you do to help people get their benefits? Is this your occupation?

No it's not my occupation but I do help people fill out forms.

[ewizabeth]

Originally Posted by SSDIHelp

A lot of lawyers attempt to draw out a case through all the appeals processes and then request from the judge a higher fee because of the amount of work done on the case.
the cloaimant does not have to agree to a higher amount, they just have to accept the judge's decision, The last time I looked on the SSA website the fees were up to $6500.

Hi Trudi!!!

[legalmania]

Originally Posted by Janke

You said you help people get benefits, yet you provide incorrect information. Lawyers have been able to charge fees for representation for decades. The maximum fee has changed over the years, but it has always been 25% of retroactive benefits up to the cap; $4000, $5300 and now $6000.

Attorneys can also petition the Social Security Administration for a higher fee. Happens more often if they go to District Court, two levels above the ALJ.

Attorneys do not have a great deal of control over the length of the appeals process. There is alot of time that a case sits and waits to be assigned to disability examiner or an ALJ. There is alot of time that is spent waiting for medical treating sources to respond. There are a lot of cases in the pipeline. In a dire need case, a claim can be moved ahead of the others, but everyone who is waiting is in need.

The fee agreement has to be signed by both parties before a decision is made and before a fee is approved. No one should sign a contract that they don't agree with. But legal expertise costs money. Lawyers need to pay their bills too. They can work on a case for years and get no money at all if it is never approved.

I provided incorrect information about what?

[legalmania]

Originally Posted by SSDIHelp

A lot of lawyers attempt to draw out a case through all the appeals processes and then request from the judge a higher fee because of the amount of work done on the case.
the cloaimant does not have to agree to a higher amount, they just have to accept the judge's decision, The last time I looked on the SSA website the fees were up to $6500.

That's getting ridiculous. Somebody better put a cap on it or it's going to be just like a civil suit 33%.