What Is a Disability Advocate?

You Don’t Have to Apply for Benefits Alone

If you’re reading this, you’ve probably experienced health problems that leave you unable to work. You’re facing a financial disaster.

Social Security Disability benefits—which give you monthly checks and qualify you for Medicare health coverage—can be a lifesaver.

But winning benefits is hard. Most people get denied. You can improve your chances by working with a professional disability representative.

Some lawyers represent people with disability claims. You can also get an advocate.

But what is a disability advocate?

Advocates are non-lawyer professionals with specific training and experience in helping you navigate the complicated Social Security Disability process.

Hanley Disability has experienced advocates on our team, helping people in Indianapolis and around Indiana.

If you need help with your disability benefits, give us a call.

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How We Help You

Hanley Disability offers a FREE evaluation of your case and will discuss your options with you. Let us make a difference in your life.

How Are Disability Advocates Trained?

Disability advocates come from many educational and professional backgrounds.

Social Security requires advocates have a college degree or equivalent training and work experience. They must pass a background check, pas an exam on Social Security regulations and complete continuing education coursework.

Here are some examples of people who become advocates:

Paralegals from law firms
Social workers
Nurses
Former Social Security Administration employees
Vocational experts

In addition to training and experience with Social Security rules and procedures, disability advocates also understand medical terms, health care systems and medical records in order to help people with many different impairments.

When you’re looking for an advocate to help with your claim, look for someone with years of experience—and membership in organizations like the National Association of Disability Representatives (NADR) or the National Organization of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives (NOSSCR).

If you’re wondering whether you qualify for benefits, the disability advocates at Hanley Disability will provide an initial consultation for free.

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What Do Disability Advocates Do?

Your disability application includes many pieces. It takes time and work to file for benefits, or appeal a decision to deny your benefits. A disability advocate helps with all of these steps and more:

Filling out Social Security forms
Organizing medical records from your doctors
Gathering years of information on your work history
Helping you appeal a denial of disability benefits
Making sure you meet deadlines for applications and appeals
Helping you prepare for a hearing with an administrative law judge
Representing you in your hearing with a judge
Cross-examining medical or vocational experts who testify at your hearing

Get Help Winning Disability Benefits

For you to win Social Security Disability benefits, Social Security has to decide you have an official disability. This means you must prove you can’t perform the work you did before, you can’t switch to new work because of your medical conditions, and your disability will last at least one year—or eventually lead to death.

This situation is personal for you. Our team values personal care and individual attention for your claim.

Hanley Disability has been working to serve people during some of the most difficult times in their lives since 1970.

We charge no fee until you win benefits.

And government reports have shown that people with representatives are about three times more likely to be awarded benefits after their hearings.

From your first application through appeals, Social Security Disability is all we do. Give us a call.

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Indianapolis man needs help appealing disability benefits denial