Atticus offers free, high-quality disability advice for Americans who can't work. Our team of Stanford and Harvard trained lawyers has a combined 15+ years of legal experience, and have helped over 10,000 Americans apply for disability benefits.
Applying for disability benefits is a big decision. But if your medical condition makes it hard to work, getting approved can be life-changing.
Many people put off applying because the process seems daunting — but there are real advantages to applying, and applying early.
We’ll go over the benefits that come with federal disability programs, and give some advice on when you should ready an application.
There are two federal disability programs: Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Both come with a monthly benefit check and healthcare.
The amount of that check depends on which program you’re approved for.
For SSDI, what you’ll receive is based on your prior work history — or how much money you had previously paid into Social Security through your taxes. For SSI, it depends on how much money you make, and how many assets you have, now.
You generally qualify for SSDI if you’ve worked for five out of the last 10 years (this is technically based on your number of work credits — which you can read more about here). You can check if you have enough work credits to qualify, and see how much your monthly payment would be, by creating an account on SSA.gov. With SSDI, you’ll also get Medicare (after a waiting period).
You qualify for SSI if you have very few assets and very little income. You’ll receive $914 a month, minus any other assets or income. (There are a few things that don’t count — like your house, land, first car, and wedding ring.) With SSI, you’ll also get Medicaid.
You can apply for both programs at the same time — on the same application.
Here’s our complete guide to qualifying for benefits; it breaks down all the eligibility rules. If you’d rather skip the reading, you can also take our 2-minute disability quiz.
We recommend you apply for benefits as soon as you know you’ll be unable to work. There are a few reasons for this.
Technically, you can apply for disability benefits without a lawyer. But for almost everyone, it’s worthwhile to work with an attorney.
A lawyer can be a real advantage at any stage of your case. They can help you gather your medical records and complete the initial application. And they can help you appeal your claim, and represent you at a hearing, if you’re initially denied.
At the hearing stage, 83% of applicants work with a lawyer. And government studies show that you’re three times more likely to win benefits with legal representation.
Best of all, your lawyer only gets paid if you win benefits. Even then, they only get a percentage of your first check (25% — up to $7,200 max).
At Atticus, we’ve helped 100k+ Americans with disability benefits. We give free advice, and can match you with a top lawyer from our vetted attorney network. Take our 2-minute quiz to get started.
There are two federal disability programs: Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Both come with a monthly benefit check and healthcare.
We recommend you apply for benefits as soon as you know you’ll be unable to work. The application process can take a while — a year or longer for some people.
Technically, you can apply for disability benefits without a lawyer. But for almost everyone, it’s worthwhile to work with an attorney. A lawyer can be a real advantage at any stage of your case. They can help you gather your medical records and complete the initial application. And they can help you appeal your claim, and represent you at a hearing, if you’re initially denied.
How long has your condition made it hard to work?
Jackie Jakab
Lead Attorney
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