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When a debilitating condition prevents you from working, the Social Security Administration (SSA) can provide monthly benefits to help cover living expenses during these challenging periods. Your contributions through payroll taxes have earned you the right to seek these benefits if a disabling condition stops you from maintaining gainful employment.
At Gordon, Wolf & Carney, our Rockville Social Security Disability lawyers create tailored strategies to help clients secure the benefits they need. From filing your initial application to managing complex appeals, we guide you through every stage of obtaining disability benefits.
Why Choose Gordon, Wolf & Carney?
With more than a century of combined experience, our seasoned disability attorneys understand how overwhelming the SSDI process can feel. That’s why we put your needs first, offering personalized guidance grounded in compassion and clarity. Whether you’re applying for benefits or appealing a denial, Gordon, Wolf & Carney transforms a stressful process into a path you can navigate with confidence.
Our Rockville Social Security Disability lawyer team understands that each case represents not just a legal matter but a person’s livelihood and future security. We treat you like a person, not a paycheck. Here are a few reasons why you should retain our firm for your disability claim:
- More than 25 years of focused Social Security Disability practice.
- Personalized attention to your unique medical and financial situation.
- Comprehensive representation from application through appeals.
- No upfront costs or fees unless we win your case.
- Deep understanding of SSA procedures and administrative law judges.
- Strong relationships with medical professionals who provide supporting documentation.
- Aggressive advocacy that protects your rights throughout the process.
Cases Our Rockville Social Security Disability Lawyers Represent
Our attorneys handle all types of Social Security Disability claims available under federal law. We represent claimants pursuing initial applications, reconsideration requests, administrative hearings before judges, and appeals to the Appeals Council and federal courts.
We also assist clients with post-entitlement issues, overpayment disputes, and continuing disability reviews. Our team understands the specific requirements for different benefit programs and tailors our approach to match your eligibility category.
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) Claims
SSDI provides monthly benefits to individuals who have worked long enough to accumulate sufficient work credits and now face a disabling medical condition. The program requires that you have paid Social Security taxes during your employment history, typically needing 40 credits with 20 earned in the last 10 years before your disability began.
Our attorneys handle the collection of medical evidence, ensure all application forms are completed accurately, and present your case in the strongest possible terms. We know how to demonstrate that your condition meets the SSA’s definition of disability under 20 CFR § 404.1505, which requires proof that you cannot perform substantial gainful activity (SGA) due to a medically determinable impairment expected to last at least 12 months or result in death.
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Claims
We help SSI applicants demonstrate both their medical disability and their financial need. We ensure you understand the strict asset limits ($2,000 for individuals, $3,000 for couples) and how various types of income affect your monthly payment amount. Our attorneys also ensure your claim avoids common errors that can result in denials due to technical eligibility issues rather than medical qualifications.
Disability Appeals and Hearings
The SSA denies approximately 67 percent of initial disability applications, making the appeals process necessary for most claimants. Our lawyers excel at presenting medical evidence and vocational expert testimony that persuades judges to approve benefits.
We thoroughly prepare you for your hearing, guide you through the types of questions you may encounter, and present legal arguments that directly address the reasons for your denial. Administrative hearings provide the best opportunity to overturn a denial, and experienced legal representation significantly improves your chances of approval.
Children’s Disability Claims
Children under 18 may qualify for SSI benefits if they have a medically determinable physical or mental impairment that causes marked and severe functional limitations. Our disability attorneys help families understand the childhood disability standards and present medical evidence that meets these requirements.
The SSA evaluates childhood disability claims using different criteria than adult cases, focusing on how the condition limits age-appropriate activities and development. Eligibility requirements for children’s SSI benefits include:
- The child must be under 18.
- The child must have a physical or mental condition causing marked and severe functional limitations.
- The condition must be expected to last at least 12 months or result in death.
- Child’s parents must meet SSI income and resource limits.
- Medical evidence must document the severity of limitations.
Adult Child Disability Claims
Adults whose disability began before age 22 may qualify for benefits on a parent’s Social Security record if the parent is deceased, retired, or receiving disability benefits. These claims require proof that the disability started before your 22nd birthday and that you remain disabled.
Our Rockville Social Security Disability lawyer team helps adult children establish their disability onset date and demonstrate continued eligibility. Requirements for adult child benefits include:
- The claimant must be unmarried.
- The parent must be entitled to retirement or disability benefits, or deceased.
- Claimants must meet SSA’s definition of disability.
- The claimant must be the biological child, adopted child, or dependent stepchild of the parent.
Our disability attorneys collect childhood medical records, school documents, and other historical evidence to establish when your disability began. They also explain how life events, such as marriage, can impact your ongoing eligibility for benefits.
Widows’ and Widowers’ Disability Claims
Surviving spouses between ages 50 and 59 may qualify for disabled widow’s or widower’s benefits if they become disabled within seven years of their spouse’s death or within seven years of when survivor benefits ended. The program provides monthly payments to individuals who lost financial support due to a spouse’s death and now cannot work due to disability.
How Do I Know If I Qualify for Disability Benefits?
Determining your eligibility for Social Security Disability benefits requires analyzing both your medical condition and your work history or financial situation. Both programs require medical evidence showing you have a disabling condition that prevents substantial gainful activity.
Qualifying Medical Condition for SSDI
Your medical condition must meet the SSA’s strict definition of disability, which requires that your impairment prevents you from performing substantial gainful activity for at least 12 consecutive months or is expected to result in death. For 2026, the SGA threshold is $1,690 per month for non-blind individuals.
The SSA maintains a Listing of Impairments in its Blue Book that describes conditions automatically considered disabling if your symptoms match the listed criteria. Medical conditions that commonly qualify for SSDI benefits include:
- Respiratory illnesses
- Neurological disorders
- Musculoskeletal disorders
- Cardiovascular conditions
- Mental health conditions
- Cancer
- Immune system disorders
- Digestive system conditions
- Kidney disease
- Endocrine disorders
- Sensory impairments
- Diabetes with severe complications
Our Social Security Disability law firm helps you report work activity correctly and take full advantage of work incentives without inadvertently triggering a benefit termination.
Qualifying for SSI with a Disability
SSI requires both medical disability and financial need. Your countable income must fall below federal benefit rates, and your countable resources cannot exceed $2,000 for individuals or $3,000 for couples. The SSA uses the same medical disability standard for SSI as for SSDI, requiring that your impairment prevents substantial gainful activity.
However, SSI serves individuals who lack sufficient work history to qualify for SSDI. Financial eligibility factors for SSI include:
Monthly income
Earned wages, unearned income like pensions, and in-kind support.
Countable resources
Bank accounts, investments, property (excluding your home and vehicle).
Living arrangements
Whether you pay market rent, own your home, or live with family.
Household composition
Whether you live alone or with others who provide support.
State supplements
Some states add money to federal SSI payments.
How Much Are Social Security Disability Benefits?
The monthly benefit amount you receive depends on which program you qualify for and various factors related to your work history or financial circumstances. SSDI payment amounts vary based on your lifetime earnings record, while SSI provides a fixed federal benefit rate that may be reduced based on other income.
Can I Get SSDI and SSI Benefits at the Same Time?
Some individuals qualify for both SSDI and SSI simultaneously when their SSDI payment falls below the SSI federal benefit rate, and they meet SSI’s income and resource limits. People receiving both benefits are called “concurrent beneficiaries.”
The SSA counts your SSDI payment as unearned income when calculating your SSI benefit amount, reducing your SSI payment dollar-for-dollar after the first $20 of monthly income. Our disability lawyers help concurrent beneficiaries understand how the two programs interact and ensure you receive the maximum combined benefit amount available under both programs.
Receiving concurrent benefits also means you qualify for both Medicare (through SSDI after a 24-month waiting period) and Medicaid (through SSI in most states), providing comprehensive health insurance coverage.
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Free ConsultationCan I Receive Social Security Disability Benefits and Still Work?
The SSA allows limited work activity while receiving disability benefits through various work incentive programs designed to help beneficiaries attempt returning to employment without immediately losing benefits or medical coverage.
The rules differ between SSDI and SSI, though both programs aim to support your efforts to regain financial independence through work. Our attorneys explain how much you can earn without affecting your benefits and provide guidance on the reporting requirements when you start working.
Working on SSDI
SSDI includes several work incentive provisions that let you test your ability to work while maintaining benefit payments and Medicare coverage. The trial work period allows you to work for up to nine months (not necessarily consecutive) within a rolling 60-month period while receiving full benefits regardless of your earnings.
After your trial work period ends, you enter an extended period of eligibility during which you receive benefits for any month your earnings fall below the SGA level. Important SSDI work provisions include:
- Trial Work Period: Nine months during which you can earn any amount while still receiving full benefits. In 2026, any month in which you earn more than $1,210 will count toward the trial.
- Extended Period of Eligibility: 36 months following the trial work period, during which you receive benefits for months below SGA.
- Substantial Gainful Activity: Work resulting in monthly earnings above $1,690 (2026 threshold) indicates you’re no longer disabled.
- Expedited Reinstatement: If your benefits stop due to work, but your condition forces you to stop working within five years, you can have benefits reinstated without filing a new application.
- Medicare Continuation: You keep Medicare coverage for at least 93 months after your trial work period ends.
Working on SSI
SSI allows you to work while receiving benefits, but the program reduces your monthly payment based on your earned income. The SSA applies several exclusions and deductions before counting wages against your SSI payment, including a general income exclusion ($20), an earned income exclusion ($65), and a reduction of your countable earnings by half.
These calculations mean you can earn a limited amount before losing SSI eligibility completely. SSI work considerations include:
- Income Exclusions: The first $85 of monthly earnings ($20 general exclusion plus $65 earned income exclusion) doesn’t reduce your SSI payment.
- Fifty Percent Deduction: The SSA counts only half of the remaining earnings as countable income after exclusions are applied.
- Payment Reductions: Your SSI payment decreases by $1 for each $2 you earn above $85 monthly.
- Continued Medicaid: You may maintain Medicaid eligibility through special provisions even if your earnings eliminate your SSI cash payment.
- Student Earned Income Exclusion: Students under age 22 can exclude up to $2,410 per month and $9,730 annually (2026 amounts).
Can I Receive Social Security Disability Benefits and Worker’s Compensation?
Many people qualify for both Social Security Disability benefits and workers’ compensation payments when a workplace injury or occupational illness prevents them from working. However, the SSA reduces SSDI benefits if your combined workers’ compensation and disability payments exceed 80 percent of your average current earnings before you became disabled.
Our disability lawyers explain how workers’ compensation offset calculations work and ensure the SSA applies the reduction formula correctly. We also coordinate with workers’ compensation attorneys to structure settlements in ways that minimize the offset against your SSDI benefits.
SSI benefits are not subject to offset under workers’ compensation. However, the income from workers’ compensation payments may affect SSI eligibility under standard income-counting rules.
Schedule a No-Cost Consultation With a Rockville Social Security Disability Attorney
Gordon, Wolf & Carney has spent decades helping Maryland residents secure the disability benefits they earned through years of hard work. When you need experienced legal representation for your disability claim, call us or complete our contact form to schedule a free consultation with a knowledgeable Rockville Social Security Disability lawyer who will evaluate your case and explain your options for pursuing the benefits you deserve.
