ARE YOU ELIGIBLE FOR SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY BENEFITS? (1)

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WASHINGTON, DC DISABILITY QUALIFICATIONS
1650 King Street, Suite 650 Alexandria, VA 22314
[phone]
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Here are Five Steps Social Security uses to
decide if you are disabled

• ARE YOU ELIGIBLE FOR SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY
  BENEFITS?

1650 King Street, Suite 650 Alexandria, VA 22314
[phone]
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• 1. Are you working?

1650 King Street, Suite 650 Alexandria, VA 22314
[phone]
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If you worked this calendar year and averaged
more than 1,000 a month in earnings, you
generally cannot be considered disabled. We can
help you determine if this step will disqualify
your case

• 1. Are you working?

1650 King Street, Suite 650 Alexandria, VA 22314
[phone]
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• 2. Is your condition severe?

1650 King Street, Suite 650 Alexandria, VA 22314
[phone]
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To qualify as disabled, your condition must
interfere with the basic activities required to
perform your previous job. Proper documentation
and evidence are crucial for this step. We'll
work with you and your doctors to prove the
severity of your condition.

• 2. Is your condition severe?

1650 King Street, Suite 650 Alexandria, VA 22314
[phone]
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• 4. Can you do the work you did previously?

1650 King Street, Suite 650 Alexandria, VA 22314
[phone]
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If necessary, we can have you evaluated by an
expert who can testify at your hearing about your
ability to perform your previous job. Well help
you gather the evidence you need.

• 4. Can you do the work you did previously?

1650 King Street, Suite 650 Alexandria, VA 22314
[phone]
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• 5. Can you do any other type of work?

1650 King Street, Suite 650 Alexandria, VA 22314
[phone]
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If SSA decides you cannot do the work you did
before, theyll consider your ability to do other
kinds of work. Age, education and work experience
all factor into this consideration.If your
health prevents you from working, Mathis Mathis
Disability Advocates will help you start your
application for disability benefits. We can also
help you appeal if youve applied and been
denied. If you have a hearing scheduled, we can
help with the critical preparations. Contact
Mathis Mathis Disability Advocates today to
find out if you qualify for Social Security
disability.

• 5. Can you do any other type of work?

1650 King Street, Suite 650 Alexandria, VA 22314
[phone]
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There are generally four appeal levels where we
can help you win the disability benefits you
deserve
1650 King Street, Suite 650 Alexandria, VA 22314
[phone]
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• 1. Request for Reconsideration

1650 King Street, Suite 650 Alexandria, VA 22314
[phone]
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If your initial application for Social Security
disability benefits is denied, we can submit
additional evidence by completing a Disability
Report Appeal. Your application will then be
reviewed by someone other than the official who
turned you down. Legal representation is
important at this stage of the appeal process.

• 1. Request for Reconsideration

1650 King Street, Suite 650 Alexandria, VA 22314
[phone]
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• 2. Hearing by an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ)

1650 King Street, Suite 650 Alexandria, VA 22314
[phone]
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If you were denied at the Reconsideration level,
we can have your case evaluated at a hearing by
an ALJ. At this point, Mathis Mathis Disability
Advocates will provide evidence from your doctors
along with any additional medical evidence and
work history. Social Security may have expert
witnesses. Mathis Mathis Disability Advocates
will have the opportunity to cross-examine them.
The preparation of your case and your testimony
is very important at an ALJ.

• 2. Hearing by an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ)

1650 King Street, Suite 650 Alexandria, VA 22314
[phone]
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• 3. Review by the Appeals Council

1650 King Street, Suite 650 Alexandria, VA 22314
[phone]
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If the ALJ also denies your claim, your case is
not necessarily over. Your disability lawyer may
ask that your case be reviewed by Social Security
Administrations Appeals Council, located in
Falls Church, Virginia, with additional offices
in Baltimore. This is the last administrative
decision level. The Appeals Council renders the
Social Security's final decision.

• 3. Review by the Appeals Council

1650 King Street, Suite 650 Alexandria, VA 22314
[phone]
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The Appeals Council looks at all requests for
review, but they may deny your request if they
believe your hearing decision was correct. If the
Council reviews your case, they can either grant
benefits to you outright or send your case back
to the ALJ for further review.

• 3. Review by the Appeals Council

1650 King Street, Suite 650 Alexandria, VA 22314
[phone]
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Some cases are automatically chosen for review by
a Decision Review Board. You have ten days to
explain to them why you disagree with the
decision. Its important to contact legal
representation before then, to be sure theres
enough time to prepare.

• 3. Review by the Appeals Council

1650 King Street, Suite 650 Alexandria, VA 22314
[phone]
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• 4. Federal Court review

1650 King Street, Suite 650 Alexandria, VA 22314
[phone]
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Some cases are automatically chosen for review by
a Decision Review Board. You have ten days to
explain to them why you disagree with the
decision. Its important to contact legal
representation before then, to be sure theres
enough time to prepare.

• 4. Federal Court review

1650 King Street, Suite 650 Alexandria, VA 22314
[phone]
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If the Appeals Council declines to review your
case or if you and your legal representative
disagree with that decision, the last step may be
to file a lawsuit against Social Security in
Federal District Court. (District Court is not
part of Social Security.) You must file your case
within 60 days from the date you received your
Appeals Council denial. Mathis Mathis
Disability Advocates has extensive experience
arguing in Federal Court, and can help you file
your appeal within this crucial timeframe. Please
contact our office immediately to get started.

• 4. Federal Court review

1650 King Street, Suite 650 Alexandria, VA 22314
[phone]
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Federal Court appeals are typically about
procedural issues rather than medical facts. No
one is allowed to testify. No new evidence is
presented. It can take a year or longer to
receive a decision from the judge. The judge
maysend the case back to Social Security with
instructions about your caseagree with the
decision to deny your case, orreverse Social
Security and award you disability benefits.

• 4. Federal Court review

1650 King Street, Suite 650 Alexandria, VA 22314
[phone]
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In very rare cases, further appeals may be made
to Federal Circuit Court and the United States
Supreme Court. Mathis Mathis Disability
Advocates represents people unable to work at all
levels of appeal. Whether you need to apply for
benefits or were already denied, contact us to
talk about your case. There is no attorney fee
unless you win disability benefits.

• 4. Federal Court review

1650 King Street, Suite 650 Alexandria, VA 22314
[phone]