Navigating the system required to receive your Social Security benefits can be virtually impossible on your own. It’s unlikely that you’ll have any kind of experience with it, outside of hearsay. One common area of confusion, for instance, is the simple difference between Supplemental Security Income and Social Security Disability Income.

How Does a Las Vegas Social Security Disability Lawyer Help with SSDI?

Social Security Disability Income is received by those who have become disabled in any number of qualified ways. It is paid entirely based on the amount of taxes you have paid over the history of your employment. You don’t need to be disabled on the job to receive it.

Your Las Vegas Social Security Disability lawyer can help with your SSDI benefits by helping to clearly identify the earliest possible date on which you became disabled. This is known as the Alleged Onset Date (AOD), and it determines the total amount of back pay you’ll receive.

Negotiating the AOD is only possible if you take your disability claim to hearing. Doing so is possible without the help of an attorney, but doing so without experience puts your claim at an unnecessary risk of being denied. If you want to maximize the benefits you’ll receive through SSDI, then hiring an attorney may be a wise decision.

How Does SSI Differ from SSDI?

Unlike SSDI, Supplemental Security Income is provided based on a needs assessment, and is funded through public taxes. The amount you’ll receive is largely based on your medical expenses. Working with a lawyer can prove helpful in some circumstances, especially if your claim has been delayed or denied. Your attorney can also negotiate your AOD, which should help cover living and medical expenses, but with some SSI cases, this is entirely unnecessary.