[blindlaw] Social Security benefits representation

[Scott Greenblatt]

Good morning Paul. Thank you so much for all of the very useful information. I didn’t know about the contingency fee basis of these cases being regulated by the government. I live in Tampa Florida and I know that there are certainly firms in my area who do this work, but I don’t think there are any firms in my area who do this work by a lawyer with a disability like me. I think that I will take your advice and focus my efforts on the appellate level because there’s no reason for me to do scribe work for an initial application. Thank you also for the warning about the inaccessible documents I will have to deal with. I think that I will have to use AIRA to help me interpret those documents that my computer will not read me. I can always have those agents transcribe the documents into an email for me to review. This way I can operate as independently as possible without having to rely on assistance from someone with sight around me.

Sincerely, 
Scott Greenblatt Esq.
914-274f-0232
sgreenblatt76 at gmail.com 
Sent from my iPhone 

> On Mar 28, 2019, at 9:58 PM, Paul Wick via BlindLaw <blindlaw at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Dear Scott,
> 
> I’ve been involved in Assisting SSA claimants in one way or another for most of the last eight years. Everything you could possibly want to know about the process is on the agency website www.ssa.gov. The first thing to know about the process is that how much you can charge and what you can charge for is regulated by statute and The code of federal regulations. You cannot charge an hourly rate for anything, and can only collect A contingent fee of 25% of the claimants past due benefits (I.e. 1/4 of the lump sum benefit check that the claimant receives representing benefits paid from the time SSA determines their disability onset and the approval of their application, subject to time limitations. As such, you have to be able to live on credit cards or other sources as the administrative process does not result in regular payouts even if you win most of your cases unless you have a critical mass of them.
> Nearly all relevant SSA paperwork can be done online. A larger issue in accessing claimants medical records which are often handwritten. SSA produced an electronic file using TIF files which are unreadable by screen readers. 
> If you like helping people as much as, or more than the law; this can be a great area; just be aware that even in smaller cities there are already usually half a dozen people already doing it; often paired with doing workers comp.
> I personally only take cases at the appellate level, as I feel like at the initial application stage, there is no legal skill involved, and your just taking people’s money to act as a scribe.
> Hope this helps,
> 
> Paul Wick
> 
> Sent from my iPhone
> 
>> On Mar 28, 2019, at 4:45 PM, Scott Greenblatt via BlindLaw <blindlaw at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> 
>> I am a new attorney thinking of throwing my hat into this area of representation and I am hoping that members on this list can help give me some guidance. Please tell me how I might get started educating myself on carrying out this type of representation. Where can I go to study up on the process? Are the application documents in accessible format for me to help clients fill out? If not, what suggestions do you have to get an accessible copy of these application documents? Can you please explain to me what goes into developing this type of case and what documentation must be gathered to prove someone’s disability? I know that even with a lawyer’s help that very few cases will receive benefits after the initial application, so what goes into the appellate process of these cases? If I’ve done my due diligence and gathered all the necessary documentation to submit with the initial application is there nothing more to do then get it before an administrative law judge to argue the case? I would also like to know how the practitioners on this list charge for these types of services. All advice will be greatly appreciated as I dearly need some mentoring help.
>> 
>> Sincerely, 
>> Scott Greenblatt Esq.
>> 914-274f-0232
>> sgreenblatt76 at gmail.com 
>> Sent from my iPhone 
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