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There are many drawbacks when you are disabled. Depending on your disability, there are a lot of things that you can’t do now. This can leave you unable to perform the manual and mental work that you once used to perform.

More than losing some of your abilities, you may also end up needing additional money for your medicines or any additional service you might need to survive.

You don’t always have people to look out for you or help you with those above-mentioned needs. During these times, it’s probably only the government that you can turn to for help. The government realizes this and that is why it came up with additional social security benefits that aim to help people with disabilities.

Supplemental Security Income—or SSI is a program of the United States government that extends assistance to individuals with a low income. Such potential SSI beneficiaries can be the elderly, blind, or disabled.

The idea of this new measure is for the government to be able to reach out and help as many disabled American citizens as possible. This effectively replaces the federal-state adult assistance programs of the past.

It could be remembered that former President Richard Nixon was passionate about bringing reform to the nation’s welfare programs. While there had been legislations aiming to help the blind, the permanently and totally disabled, and the elderly, he believed that this should be federalized and run by the Social Security Administration (SSA).

While having the same purpose with the older legislations, the newer measure has been restructured and now aims for the standardizations of the level of benefits, as well as eligibility. This incorporation to the Social Security Act is perfect not only for people of old age, but also for those who have been suffering from different kinds of disabilities.

Now, disabled people are getting their desperately needed monetary assistance to help them get by with their daily lives. For these people, receiving this kind of assistance lets them pay their bills, take care of their health, and sustain their daily needs.

Through this new system, people who need the caring of the government the most receives their end of the taxes which the citizenry has paid for.

If you are from the Los Angeles and are suffering from a disability, are blind, or too old to still perform manual work, you don’t have to worry for the government has your back.

Accordingly, a Los Angeles SSI lawyer can be of great help when making claims for SSI. He will give you that much-needed legal advice on how you can ask for SSI benefits and help you with the entire process. Just submit your application and the corresponding requirements and you may soon receive your claims.

If you have been long disabled or you got incapacitated lately and you fear for your future, you should worry no more. You can now fend for yourself and survive through your disability for your government will take care of you.

 
You should be aware that the Social Security Administration (SSA) gives you the right to undergo the appeals process. If you believe that you are not satisfied with the initial determination of the SSA regarding your claim, you must immediately pursue filing an appeal. The appeals process has four stages. Unless you are satisfied with the decision on one level, you will be proceeding to the next one.

The reconsideration stage is the first stage of the appeals process. An SSA representative who did not take any part on the initial determination will review your case. If you are not satisfied with the letter containing their decision, you have to proceed with the disability hearing before an administrative law judge (ALJ). At this point, you have to secure any one of the reputable Social Security disability lawyers in your area.

If you are dissatisfied with the decision of the ALJ despite providing sufficient evidences and testimonies from witnesses, you and your disability attorney should proceed to the third, which is the Social Security Appeals Council. The main office of the Appeals Council is located in Falls Church, VA, with office extensions located in Baltimore, MD and Crystal City, VA.

If you wish to file a request for an appeal with the Appeals Council, you must do so in writing within 60 days from the day you received the letter containing the decision of the ALJ regarding your claim. You can send it directly to the main office in Virginia, or you can call your local SSA office. You must act quickly with your legal representative to prevent delays. If you did not make any moves within the 60-day period, the Appeals Council may dismiss your petition.

The main role of the Appeals Council is to look at the ALJ’s determination regarding your claim. If they believe that the ALJ’s decision is correct, the Council will most likely reject your request for review. If they think otherwise, they may either decide on your case or return the decision to the ALJ for another review.