SSDRC




Filing an Application for Disability Benefits

How do you win disability benefits?

If I am determined disabled, how far back will Social Security pay benefits?

How do you prove your disability case if you have a mental condition?

What Can I Do to Improve My Chances of Winning Disability Benefits

Common Mistakes after Receiving a Denial of benefits

How to File for Disability - Tips for Filing

If You Get Approved For SSDI Will You Also Get Medicare?

Social Security Disability--Permanent Disability

Social Security Disability SSI Criteria and the Evaluation Process

How long does it take to be approved for SSI or Social Security disability?

Qualifying: What do you Need to Prove to Qualify for Disability?

Applying for disability for Fibromyalgia

Filing for disability with Degenerative Disc Disease

Can I Qualify For Disability on the basis of Depression?

Answers to questions about SSD and SSI disability

What Disabilities Qualify for SSI and Social Security Disability Benefits?

Social Security Disability Status


Hiring a Qualified Disability Lawyer in Virginia


How to prove you are disabled
and win disability benefits


Claimants with representation in Virginia tend to be approved in higher percentages, have a need for fewer appeals, and more favorable "dates of onset" (the date the disability is proven to have begun) which can result in higher back pay benefits.

Representation may be through a disability lawyer or a specialized non-attorney disability representative. Many non-attorney reps are former Social Security Administration Claims Specialists and Disability Examiners.

A qualified representative will have a knowledge of Social Security administrative law and procedures, especially with regard to how claims are approved through the Social Security listings and the medical vocational grid rules. A qualified and competent representative or lawyer will also be skilled in the ability to obtain the most relevant case evidence, analyze it correctly, and incorporate it as part of a winning strategy for a claim.

To learn about fees for representation, see: "How do disability lawyers get paid?"


Additional information

Disability representation can be an essential asset to someone who is pursuing a social security disability or SSI disability claim in Virginia, chiefly because the odds of being denied on an initial application or a first appeal (for SSD or SSI benefits) are fairly high.

How many individuals filing for disability benefits get denied? Recent federal statistics show that more than 60 percent of applicants who file for disability in Virginia are not approved and close to 90% of those who appeal in Virginia are denied a second time.

Filing social security disability or SSI can be an extraordinarily difficult process. And it can be a costly one, because the longer an individual's case is drawn out, the more likely it will be that the individual will suffer substantial financial damage.

For this reason, among others, claimants are advised to consult with social security attorneys. And if a disability claim in Virginia has been denied, an individual should seriously consider getting a lawyer to handle a claim. At the disability hearing level (the third step in the process and the second appeal available to applicants), the chances of winning benefits can be increased significantly by using the services of someone who is knowledgeable about the disability system in general and specifically about how to present a case before a disability judge.















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Questions and Answers about Social Security Disability and SSI Disability


  • Questions about Disability Lawyers and Hiring a Disability Attorney

  • Do the Results of the Social Security Psychological Exam have any Bearing on Being Approved?

  • Is There Social Security Disability For Children?

  • Social Security Disability Appeal Deadlines Are Always 60 Days

  • Does Your Last Job Determine If You Receive A Social Security or SSI Award?

  • How to Prepare For a Social Security Disability Hearing

  • How do I File for Social Security Disability?

  • What Income Will Affect Your Disability Benefits?

  • The Disability reconsideration Appeal - what is it and how do you file for it?

  • What does social security mean by disability, i.e. what is the definition?

  • Social Security Administration Disability Benefits From SSD and SSI

  • Social Security Disability Denied — The Reasons Why

  • How does Social Security make decisions on disability claims ?

  • Do You Pay A Disability Attorney When You Are Approved?

  • Working while getting Disability - is it possible?

  • Disability Lawyer Success Rate - Do Lawyers Improve The Chances of Winning?

  • What does a lawyer do to help on a Social Security disability claim?

  • How does Social Security Make Decisions on Disability?

  • If You Get Disability Benefits, Will Your Dependents Get A Check?

  • How Likely Is It That A Social Security Disability Claim Will Be Won Prior To The Hearing Level?

  • What Expenses Will A Social Security Attorney Charge In Addition To The Fee?

  • Does Your Doctor Decide If You Get Disability?

  • Should you get a Non-Attorney Disability Representative for a Social Security or SSI case?

  • What physicians and claimants should know about social security disability

  • Do you need a Lawyer at the Administrative Law Judge Disability Hearing?

  • Advice for a Social Security Disability Continuing Review

  • How Many Work Credits Do You Need To Have For SSI?

  • How does a Social Security attorney get paid?

  • What are the Requirements for Social Security Disability and SSI?

  • Requesting a Social Security Hearing when you have a Disability Representative or Attorney

  • Using a Lawyer for an SSDI Disability Case

  • What Are Countable Assets For Social Security?

  • When will a disability lawyer decide to take your case?

  • When you file for disability and have both Mental and Physical Conditions

  • Can I Do My Social Security Appeal Without Using A Lawyer?

  • How Long Does It Take To Get SSDI If You Have To Appeal?

  • Filing for disability by state of residence

  • Disability Lawyers by state

  • Applying for disability benefits in Virginia

  • Will I Qualify For Disability Benefits in Virginia?













    SSD and SSI are Federal Programs

    The title II Social Security Disability and title 16 SSI Disability programs operate under federal guidelines and, therefore, the program requirements--medical and non-medical--apply to all states:

    Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming

    Recent approval and denial statistics for various states can be viewed here:

    Social Security Disability, SSI Approval and Denial Statistics by state

    Special Section: Tips and Advice for Social Security Disability and SSI Claims