If you believe that you are disabled and would like to communicate with an attorney free of charge, you may e-mail an attorney about your potential case. You can also call us toll-free at 1(800) 750-0LAW (0529) and ask for Anthony Irpino to receive a free telephone consultation or schedule a free in-person consultation.

The federal Social Security Disability Act allows individuals who are disabled to receive payments from the federal government. Under this federal law, "disability" means the "inability to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment which can be expected to result in death or has lasted or is expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months."

Individuals who to have worked in the recent years, generally 5 out of the last 10 years, are eligible to receive Social Security Disability Benefits (SSD). The amount of the benefit is determined by how much you made when you were working. Individuals who have not worked sufficiently in the past are can request to receive Supplemental Security Income Benefits (SSI). In addition, SSI child’s disability benefits are paid to children who are under 18, have a disability and whose parents or guardian are poor.

In order to receive benefits, you must have a disability severe enough to prevent you from working for a minimum of 12 consecutive months. The test used for determining eligibility for benefits is whether you are physically and emotionally capable of doing a job that is generally available in the every day work place. In addition, to receive benefits, you must have a doctor state that you are disabled "by medically acceptable clinical and laboratory findings".

Anyone can file a Social Security Disability benefit claim without an attorney. Statistics indicate that individuals who obtain representation are awarded benefits much more often than those who do not.