Tell us your story once
A short review by phone. We check your work credits, your age bracket and when you last worked, and tell you plainly whether it makes sense to apply now. If we can't help, we say so and point you somewhere that can.
SSDI · SSI · Free help applying
Applying for disability? Get it right the first time.
Most first-time applications are turned down over records and paperwork, not because the person wasn't disabled. Pick your stage below, then call — we'll tell you on that call whether we can help.
Talk it through with a person before you file — no phone tree, no forms first.
No fee unless you win
All 50 states
Free review · No obligation
Interactive · Stage locator
Where are you right now?
Filing alone
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With a representative
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Approval rates are rounded averages from the Social Security Administration's published annual statistics. They describe general outcomes, not your case.
2 in 3
First-time applications are turned down, according to Social Security's own published figures
5 months
Typical wait for an initial decision, so a complete first filing matters
$0
Owed by you unless benefits are awarded
50 states
Social Security is federal, so we can represent you anywhere in the US
Why people call us
You only get one first impression with Social Security.
You know what your body can and can't do. Getting that on paper, in the words Social Security actually scores, is the whole job. Most people find that out after the letter arrives. We'd rather you find out before.
- Not sure whether you even qualify
- Savings running out while you wait
- Doctors too busy to write what you need
- Forms that ask the same thing six ways
- No idea which records matter
- The fear of doing it wrong and starting over
The sequence
Three steps. We do the heavy lifting.
Social Security runs in a fixed order and every stage has a deadline. Here's what your side of it looks like, from the first call to an award.
We build the file before it goes in
We request records from every provider, chase the slow ones, and translate your limitations into the language the Social Security Administration actually scores — residual functional capacity, not adjectives.
We file it — and stay on it
Every form, every deadline, every follow-up request. If it needs an appeal or a hearing later, the same advocate stays with it. You focus on your health.
Already denied?
A denial isn't the end of the road either.
If a letter has already arrived, there is a 60-day window to appeal — and most denials are overturned later. Same call, same advocate.
How appeals work60
days to appeal
Talk to a person
You don't have to figure this out on paper.
Tell someone what's going on in your own words. We'll say plainly whether it's worth applying and whether we can help — on that same call.
Call (888) 721-8630Free · No obligation · Nothing owed unless benefits are awarded
Qualifying impairments
Your diagnosis matters less than what it stops you doing.
Social Security scores what you can still do, not the name of the condition. These are the ones we see most often — search yours, or tell us about it on the call.
No match in this list — that doesn't mean you don't qualify. Over 200 impairments are evaluated. Call and tell us about yours →
Estimator · SSDI
What might your monthly benefit look like?
SSDI is calculated from what you paid in, not from how severe your condition is. Move the sliders for a rough picture.
Use a rough average of your working years, before tax.
Age 50 and over changes how Social Security judges whether you can retrain.
This drives your back pay. The first five months are never paid.
Under 5 years of recent work usually points to SSI instead of SSDI.
Estimated monthly benefit
$1,640
SSDI · based on your earnings record
Possible back pay
$14,760
Paid over 10 years
$196,800
Estimate only. Built from the published Social Security benefit formula and averages — not a quote, not a promise, and not affiliated with the Social Security Administration. Your actual award depends on your full earnings record and onset date.
1
One call before you file.
Once an application goes in, you are working with whatever is already in your file. Fifteen minutes on the phone first is the cheapest thing you will ever do for your claim.
Call before I fileAlready filed, or already denied? Call anyway — there is usually still something that can be done.
Before you call
Exactly what happens when you pick up the phone.
No script, no hard sell, and no cost. Here is the whole thing, so nothing about it is a surprise.
We ask, you answer
What your condition stops you doing, when you last worked, whether you are working now, and who treats you. Plain questions. You do not need documents in front of you, and there is nothing you can get wrong.
You get a straight answer
Whether it makes sense to apply now, what records you will need, and what the timeline realistically looks like. If your case is not one we can take, we say so on the call and point you somewhere that can. Nobody strings you along.
You decide, in your own time
If you want us to take it on, we send an agreement to read. Nothing starts until you sign it. There is no fee to pay upfront and nothing at all if your claim is not approved.
Straight answers
The questions everybody asks first.
What does this cost me?
Nothing upfront and nothing if you lose. If you're approved, Social Security pays us directly out of your back pay — capped by federal law at 25% of back pay, up to a maximum the Social Security Administration sets each year. Your ongoing monthly checks are never touched.
Do I have to have been denied already?
No. Most of the people we help are applying for the first time, or are about to. Getting an advocate involved before the application goes in is the single most useful thing you can do, because the first file is what everything afterwards is judged against.
Can't I just apply myself?
Yes, and it costs nothing to do so at ssa.gov. People call us because roughly two-thirds of first applications are turned down — often for paperwork and evidence gaps rather than medical merit — not because filing costs money.
I was already denied. Is it too late?
No. You generally have 60 days from the date on the letter to appeal, and many denials are overturned later. How appeals work. If that clock has run out, call anyway; there are limited good-cause exceptions.
How long does the whole thing take?
An initial decision usually takes 6–8 months, and that clock only starts once the application is in — which is why filing it complete matters. Reconsideration adds several more. If it reaches a hearing, the wait varies heavily by hearing office — some under a year, some closer to two. We can tell you the current average for your specific office when you call.
Can I work at all while I apply?
Some. Social Security calls earning above a monthly threshold "substantial gainful activity," and going over it can sink a claim outright. The figure changes yearly and there are exceptions such as trial work periods. Talk to us before you take shifts.
What's the difference between SSDI and SSI?
SSDI is an insurance benefit — you qualify through work credits you earned paying FICA taxes, and the amount depends on your earnings history. SSI is needs-based for people with very limited income and resources regardless of work history. Some people qualify for both. We work out which applies during the review.
Do I have to go to a hearing in person?
Often not. Many hearings are held by phone or video, and your advocate appears with you either way. If your case does go before a judge in person, you will not be walking in alone or unprepared.
Are you part of the Social Security Administration?
No. Disabilift is a private advocacy firm. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of the Social Security Administration or any government agency. You always have the right to file entirely on your own for free.
One step. That's it.
Pick up the phone before you file.
No forms, no waiting for a callback, no paperwork before you know anything. One free call with an advocate who files these every day.
Checking our hours…
(888) 721-8630Free · No obligation
No fee unless you win
Talk to a person, not a phone tree
All 50 states
Calling is free and places you under no obligation. See our Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions. Disabilift Advocates is not affiliated with the Social Security Administration or any government agency.