If you are thinking about trying to qualify for supplemental security income (SSI) in Illinois, you should know that the process can be difficult, time consuming, and confusing.
On the Social Security Administration’s website, you will find only a short blurb that appears to say that SSI benefits are available to anyone with limited income who either has a disability or is 65 or older. Unfortunately, that brief description does not get into the nuances of applying, and those nuances can cause you to lose out on benefits that you need and would otherwise qualify for.
Common complaints about the application process include, but are not limited to:
- I don’t understand if I’m eligible.
- The application is confusing.
- Some of the information seems to conflict.
- I’m unsure how to fill out forms that the SSA sent me.
- I can’t reach a person to talk me through this.
- My doctor doesn’t understand the forms.
For these reasons and more, many people in and around the Chicago area decide to get the help of an experienced Social Security attorney. No one is required to work with a Chicago Social Security attorney to file a claim for SSI, but having someone knowledgeable on your side throughout this process can go a long way towards determining whether or not you end up winning your claim and getting the benefits that you deserve.
Can a Social Security Attorney Help You Get Supplemental Security Income (SSI)?
Many people believe that qualifying for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits is a simple matter of getting their doctor to sign off on a form or bringing in medical records to “prove” that they need it. Unfortunately, each individual claim has its own requirements in order for you to establish disability. This includes legal issues that doctors and regular citizens are not likely to be familiar with – at least not in the same way that a competent Social Security attorney will be.
An experienced Social Security attorney can also represent you at your hearing and improve your chances at success there, but ideally you do not even want to get to the point where you need a hearing. Working with a good lawyer from the beginning can help you to avoid that part of the process.
Don’t go it alone. While it is certainly possible to win your claim without a representative, the process canl go more smoothly with someone knowledgeable at your side.