Maximizing Social Security disability benefits just got more important

No benefit hike for Social Security next year.” Tens of thousands of Cook County residents were shaken to their financial cores. For only the third time in the last 40 years, they would receive no increase in their Social Security disability (SSD) benefits.

Each month more than 150,000 people living in and around Chicago depend on SSD benefits as their only source of income. They are not retired but can’t work. They are parents, but wouldn’t be able to provide for their children without SSD. They were likely able-bodied and employed at some point, but are currently unable to hold down a job for at least 12 consecutive months because of illness or injury.

Compounding the financial pain for people living on SSD benefits, the lack of a Social Security benefit increase means they will also wind up paying more for Medicare, which many rely on for to cover their health care costs.

Yes, most people in Cook County who receive SSD benefits are going to have to do some belt-tightening–and the there’s not a lot of room to pull the purse strings tighter. Across the country, more than 70 million people receive benefits–including more than 150,000 people in Cook County–that average just over $1,220 a month.

That’s not an exorbitant amount of money, but it is an important amount of money. And now that benefits have been frozen again, it’s critical that anyone considering applying for Social Security disability benefits consult with an experienced Chicago SSD lawyer.

Successfully obtaining Social Security disability benefits can be challenging, but an experienced Chicago SSD lawyer can assist you in:

  • Understand the Social Security Administration’s qualification process and whether or not your are eligible for benefits.
  • Complete the application process by helping you clearly articulate your physical or mental disability and prove that you are unable to work.
  • Secure the largest possible benefit total to help ensure that you and your family have the resources needed to live a happy, productive life.
  • File an appeal if the Social Security Administration denies your original request.

For only the third time in the past 40 years, SSD benefits will be frozen. If you are unable to work due to illness or injury, consult with an experienced Chicago SSD lawyer to get the largest possible benefits to which you are entitled.