Sacramento Social Security Disability

Sacramento disability lawyer offers guidance on California Social Security applications and appeals

Sacramento disability law firm Law Offices of Smolich & Smolich practices California Social Security disability law exclusively. Smolich & Smolich has extensive experience as a Sacramento disability attorney. He has limited his practice to the field of Social Security law for more than 30 years. We have prepared this website to share with you some of the valuable information we have acquired in our years of practicing before the Social Security Administration.

Should I apply for Social Security disability benefits?
This is a question we are often asked by callers to our California disability law firm.

Do you have a physical or mental impairment that prevents you from working?
Has it lasted or is it expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months?
If the answer to both these questions is yes, you should apply. You can apply for Social Security disability benefits by:

1. phoning (800) 443-21345 for an appointment, or 
2. completing your application online at http://www.socialsecurity.gov/applyfordisability/

But, after you submit your application, be prepared. Your initial application is likely to be denied. About two-thirds of initial applications, both in the South California area and nationally, are denied by the Social Security Administration.

What should I do if my initial application is denied?
Do not be discouraged. Take the next step and appeal. The Social Security disability evaluation process is rigorous, complex, and lengthy. Many people become so frustrated that they simply give up. Every year more than one million people don't appeal the denial of their initial applications, and a number of those are truly disabled.

However, those who appeal have a significantly better chance of success. Over half of California and Sacramento Social Security disability claimants who appeal, like claimants on the national level, are ultimately awarded California disability benefits. For more information on how to appeal, see Advice for appealing a denial of Social Security disability benefits.

One reason the success rate is higher for appeals than for applications is that an appeal results in a Social Security disability hearing before an administrative law judge. The hearing gives you the chance to tell the judge in your own words the impact of your physical or mental problems on your ability to work. And it lets the judge, see with his own eyes, how your problems have affected you. 

What does it take to qualify for disability benefits in Sacramento?
To qualify for Social Security disability benefits in Sacramento and elsewhere in California, you must be "disabled" as defined in Social Security law and regulations. The Social Security Administration has a stringent definition of disabled which is based on your ability to work.

To satisfy this definition, you must:

• Not be working or you must be earning less than a minimum monthly amount specified by the Social Security Administration.
• Have a physical or mental condition that is severe, can be established through medically acceptable diagnostic techniques, and is expected to last, or has lasted, at least 12 months or result in death.
• Not be able to do "past relevant work," which means you must be unable to do the easiest job you have done in the past 15 years.Not be able to do other jobs that exist in the national economy considering your age, education, and work experience.In addition to these disability requirements, you must have paid sufficient Social Security taxes to qualify for Social Security disability insurance benefits or you must meet income and asset tests to qualify for Supplemental Security Income (SSI).

For more information on whether you are disabled for Social Security disability purposes, see the video "Are you likely to qualify" at the top of this page.

How we help
Sacramento and south California disability claimantsWhether you are preparing to apply or your claim has already been denied, the California and Sacramento disability lawyers at the Law Offices of Smolich & Smolich are available to help. We handle Social Security disability cases at all stages, including appeals to federal court.

We analyze what each of our California disability clients needs to prove to win, and then we figure out how to prove it. We gather all the evidence necessary for the proper adjudication of each client's claim. We then present it in the most effective manner to the administrative law judge, Appeals Council and, if necessary, in federal court.We handle all types of impairments, including:

How to contact us
Having an experienced Sacramento disability lawyer help you through the complicated disability evaluation and appeals process will provide you with much needed peace of mind. Please contact us if you live in Sacramento, Roseville, Stockton, or elsewhere in California and want assistance with your California disability case.

If you provide a brief description of your claim using the form to the left, we will respond promptly. Or you may contact us.