FAQ
Q. What exactly is Disability Blueprint, LLC?
A. Disability Blueprint, LLC is an organization made up of former Social Security disability examiners that provide non-attorney representation to individuals who need assistance filing for benefits. We assist our clients in completing their applications and questionnaires. We consult with our clients to ensure that they are well informed on what's going on with their claim and what steps they need to ensure their case has their highest chance of approval. We prepare mock hearings so that our clients have some insight into what to expect when they attend an administrative law judge (ALJ) hearing.
Q. Where are you located?
A. We are located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Q. What are your hours of operation?
A. We are available Monday through Thursday 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM and 8:30 AM to 1 PM on Fridays (Central Standard Time)
Q. Do you assist in adult and children disability claims?
A. Yes. We have experience handling claims for individuals of all ages.
Q. I do not live near Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Can you still help me?
A. Yes. The majority of the work that we do and the services we offer can be accomplished via email, fax, and phone. We have assisted multiple individuals with whom we have never personally met before. If your claim is at the administrative law judge (ALJ) level, we will travel to and accompany you to your hearing. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all administrative law judge (ALJ) hearings are held via teleconference. Because of this, we are able to assist more individuals as travel to and from hearings is currently not an issue.
Q. What's the difference between an attorney and a non-attorney representative?
A. Attorney's and non-attorney representatives provide similar services to disability clients. They both assist clients in completing all of the necessary paperwork to get a disability claim processed. They both consult with clients on case specific issues. They both attend and represent clients in administrative law judge hearings. They both prepare briefs that explain why they believe a client is disabled. The biggest difference between the two is that attorneys are more qualified to assist clients in filing and arguing cases that require a civil action suit.
Q. Are there any benefits in hiring a non-attorney representative as opposed to an attorney?
A. An experienced non-attorney representative can be invaluable resource when filing an application for disability. Being that most non-attorney representatives used to work for the Social Security Administration, they have an insight into the processing of a claim that an attorney who has never worked for Social Security will not have. This insight allows them to process and develop a claim as they were trained to, which follows the guidelines set forth by Social Security. Highly trained and skilled non-attorney representatives should be able to identify most of the problems associated with your disability claim fairly quickly and provide guidance on how to strengthen your case.
Q. Do I need to be represented by either an attorney or a non-attorney representative to file a claim for disability?
A. The short answer is no. There are individuals who are awarded benefits without the assistance of neither an attorney nor a non-attorney representative. There are several factors that go into determining whether you will be found disabled or not. If you are unsure whether you need to be represented before filing, it would be best to speak with an attorney or a non-attorney representative before filing. Most will provide an initial consultation free of charge.
Q. Is it true that I will be denied at least once before I am approved for disability?
A. This is one of the biggest myths surrounding the disability program. The answer is no. Approximately, 30-38% of the initial claims filed with the Social Security Administration will be approved for benefits. The majority of which are first-time applicants. As stated earlier, there are several factors that go into determining whether you will be found disabled. A highly skilled attorney or non-attorney representative should be able to project your chances of being awarded benefits after an initial consultation and evaluation of your medical records.
Q. I am unable to do the work I have performed for most of my adult life, why was I denied disability?
A. The Social Security Administration has a 5-step process that determines whether an individual is disabled or not. Most disability cases are denied at steps 4 and 5 of the claims process. These two steps ask and answer the following questions: Despite your conditions, are you capable of performing your past work? If you are incapable of performing your past work, do you have skills that would transfer to less demanding work. As discussed in The Process, you conditions must prevent you from performing ANY type of substantial gainful activity. Most individuals file for disability because they are unable to do the work that they have grown accustomed to. However, Social Security takes it a step further by determining if your condition would prevent you from doing other forms of work even if you do not have any experience performing that type of work in the past. The best way to know if your past work has skills that would be transferable to other work that's less demanding is to consult a vocational rehabilitation counselor or a consult an attorney or non-attorney representative that has experience in identifying jobs and analyzing their transferable skills.
Q. I know someone who is on disability and they don't appear to have nothing wrong with them. Why is it that they were able to get it and not me?
A. This is very common question, but the answer to it is not straight-forward. Medical conditions come with various signs and symptoms that are very hard to evaluate by just looking at a person. Because of this, medical records tell a huge part of the story. They assist the Social Security in determining what's a disabling condition and what's not. Again, there are several factors that go into determining if an individual is disabled or not. A list of factors that disability examiners must account for when determining disability include the following: severity of the alleged medical condition, past relevant work history, age, and education. These are the most important factors that examiners look at when evaluating a claim, but there are others to consider as well.