Social Security disability
Most first claims are denied, and a denial is not the end of your case. Whether you are filing for the first time or appealing a letter that already said no, Knollmeyer Law Office has handled SSDI and SSI claims for Arkansans for over three decades.
Free consultation · No obligation · Five Central Arkansas offices
If this sounds familiar
You stopped working because your body or your mind would not let you keep going. You filed, you waited months, and a letter arrived saying no. Meanwhile the bills did not stop and nobody at the other end of the phone seems to have read your file.
Here is what that letter usually means. Claims are turned down over incomplete paperwork, medical records that were never requested, work history that was written down wrong, or a form that went to the wrong place. None of that is a finding that you can still work. It is a first pass through a system built to say no, and it has an appeal deadline printed on it.
You generally have 60 days from the date on that letter. That is the single most important thing on the page.
Why us
To receive SSDI benefits you have to prove a physical or mental impairment that prevents you from working. That means medical records, work history documentation and often several rounds of review, in an order and a format the Social Security Administration expects.
We have helped thousands of Arkansans through that process over the past three decades. You will deal with an experienced team rather than a call center, and you will get an honest read on your case rather than a sales pitch.
Two different programs
People use "disability" for both, but they are separate programs with separate rules. Filing under the wrong one costs you time you do not have.
Social Security Disability Insurance. Paid out of the Social Security taxes you already paid, so it turns on whether you have enough work credits from your working years.
Supplemental Security Income. Needs-based, so it looks at your income and your resources rather than at how long you worked.
The basics
You may be eligible for Social Security disability if:
Not sure whether you fit? That is exactly what the free consultation is for. We will look at your medical history and your work record and give you an honest assessment, including if the answer is no.
The appeals process
Knowing what comes next takes a lot of the fear out of it. This is the road, in order.
A different examiner reviews your claim, along with any new evidence we put in front of them. This is where a properly built medical record often changes the answer.
You appear before an Administrative Law Judge. We prepare you for the questions and present your case, so you are not explaining your own medical history alone.
If the judge denies your claim, we can ask the Appeals Council to review the decision.
In rare cases, we can take your claim into federal court.
What is at stake
Let the 60 days run out and you can be pushed back to the start of the process. That is not just a delay. Back pay is calculated from dates, so a restarted claim can quietly cost you money you were entitled to, on top of the months you spend waiting again.
Handled properly, the other version of this looks like a decision in your favor, benefits that arrive every month, and back pay for the stretch you spent waiting. That is the outcome we are working toward from the first phone call.
Common questions
No. Most initial claims are denied, and a denial is a normal first step rather than a verdict on your condition. Claims are often turned down over incomplete paperwork, missing medical records or a technical error, none of which say anything about whether you can work. The important thing is the deadline on the letter.
You generally have 60 days from the date on your denial notice to ask for the next level of review. Miss it and you can be forced to start the whole claim over, which costs you months and can cost you back pay. If your letter is dated recently, call us before you do anything else.
SSDI is paid out of the Social Security taxes you already paid, so it depends on having enough work credits. SSI is needs-based and looks at your income and resources rather than your work history. Some people qualify for one, some for both, and the paperwork is not the same. We will tell you which one fits your situation at the free consultation.
Not always. Some claims are resolved at reconsideration. If yours reaches a hearing, you appear before an Administrative Law Judge, and we prepare you for it and present your case so you are not walking in cold.
The first consultation is free, with no obligation to hire us. We will go over how fees work in disability cases before you decide anything, so there are no surprises.
Call us for a free consultation. We will go through your denial letter, your medical record and your work history, and tell you plainly where you stand.
Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM
