Frisco Disability Lawyer — SSDI & SSI Appeals

Which Federal Disability Program Covers You — SSDI or SSI

Many Frisco residents come to us frustrated and confused because no one has ever clearly explained the difference between these two programs. They have different rules, different funding sources, and different eligibility standards. Getting the wrong one at the initial application stage is a costly mistake. Here is what you need to know:

Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is the program most working adults think of when they hear 'disability benefits.' It is funded entirely by the FICA taxes deducted from your paycheck throughout your career.

• Work history required: You typically need to have worked and paid into Social Security for at least five of the past ten years to qualify.
• Financial resources do not matter: Unlike SSI, SSDI eligibility has nothing to do with what you own or what your household earns. The sole question is whether your disability prevents you from working.
• Monthly payment: Your benefit amount is calculated from your personal earnings history. Workers with higher lifetime wages receive larger monthly checks.
• Health insurance: An approved SSDI claim leads to Medicare eligibility 24 months after your date of entitlement is established.
• Who qualifies: Disabled workers with sufficient work credits, and adults who have been disabled since before age 22.

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is an entirely separate program funded by general federal tax revenue, not the Social Security trust fund built up by your FICA contributions.

• No work history needed: SSI does not require you to have ever worked or paid into the system.
• Means-tested program: Your household income and countable assets must stay below strict federal limits. Even a small amount of savings or a second vehicle can affect eligibility.
• Monthly payment: All approved recipients receive the same federal base rate, which is then offset by any other countable income you receive.
• Health insurance: SSI approval in Texas triggers immediate Medicaid eligibility, with no waiting period.
• Who qualifies: Disabled adults with limited income and few work credits, and disabled children in lower-income households.

#cta_start

Are You Unable to Work Due to a Medical Condition?

If a physical or mental impairment has taken your job and your income, you may have a strong case for SSDI or SSI benefits. Let us review your situation for free with no paperwork, no pressure, no obligation.

Free Consultation

#cta_end

Representing Frisco Residents Whose Health Has Cost Them Their Career

Frisco has grown into one of the fastest-expanding cities in the entire United States, fueled by an influx of professionals in finance, real estate, construction, education, and sports and entertainment. Behind that growth is a workforce that has poured enormous physical and mental energy into building careers.

Sometimes those careers end not by choice, but because the body simply cannot keep up anymore. We represent clients across Frisco and the surrounding area who are unable to work due to:

• Severe physical impairments (primary claims): We handle federal disability cases for clients dealing with serious cardiovascular conditions, advanced and aggressive cancers, chronic and degenerative disorders of the spine and joints, and major neurological events and diseases including stroke, traumatic brain injury, Parkinson's disease, and multiple sclerosis.
• Mental health conditions (secondary claims): A disabling physical condition almost always has a psychological dimension, and we know how to document it. We build appeals that present severe depression, PTSD, and anxiety disorders as secondary impairments layered on top of a primary physical condition, creating a fuller, more compelling picture of your total disability for the judge.

View All Conditions

Your Medical Records Are the Foundation of Everything

No matter how severe your condition is, the SSA will not approve a claim without thorough, consistent medical documentation to support it. If you lost health insurance when you stopped working and have gaps in your treatment history, do not let that stop you from filing.

We regularly connect Frisco-area clients with affordable care options, including Collin County community health resources and area safety-net providers, to build the continuous paper trail that the SSA and a hearing judge will demand.

Cutting Through the Backlog for Urgent Diagnoses

The federal hearing process can stretch on for well over a year. For someone fighting a terminal or rapidly progressing illness, that timeline is simply not acceptable. If your diagnosis appears on the SSA's Compassionate Allowances (CAL) list (conditions like ALS, certain late-stage cancers, or early-onset Alzheimer's disease), we will immediately structure your application to qualify for expedited processing. In many CAL cases, we have seen decisions issued in weeks rather than the standard months or years.