Social Security Disability advocates: SSDI and SSI claims, appeals and hearings
Social Security Disability is a federal safety net that pays monthly benefits, and back pay, to people who can no longer work because of a medical condition. Turnout's representatives are accredited directly by the Social Security Administration. Whether you have not filed yet, your claim is pending, or you have already been denied, Turnout can take your case from wherever it stands. Switching to a Turnout advocate does not restart your claim or your deadlines.
For people who worked and paid Social Security taxes but can no longer work because of a medical condition. Your advocate builds your SSDI application, gathers medical evidence and files it for you.
For adults with limited income and resources who have a disability, whatever their work history. Your advocate checks your eligibility and handles your SSI application from start to finish.
A denial is not the final answer. You have 60 days to ask Social Security to review your claim again. Your advocate finds what was missing and files your reconsideration.
If reconsideration is denied, the next step is a hearing with an administrative law judge. Your advocate prepares your case, gets you ready for the hearing and represents you at it.
Most disability claims move through 4 stages, and Turnout can join at any moment. When you work with us, we step in as your official representative to the SSA and help get your case to the finish line.
This is where everyone starts. Expect the SSA to take about 6 months to give you an initial decision. About 2 out of 3 first applications are denied, so a "no" here is common and isn't the end.
Advocacy does not stop here. If you're denied, you have 60 days to ask the SSA to take a second look. Within this time frame, you can strengthen your case by providing medical evidence to your Turnout advocate. An average reconsideration takes 7 months, and 1 in 7 claims are approved at this stage.
At the hearing level, you and your advocate take your case before an administrative law judge. You have 60 days to request a hearing, and a decision takes about 9 months (SSA average: 275 days). This stage has the highest approval rate of 50%.
If the judge denies your claim, you can ask the Appeals Council to review it, and then take it to federal court. Few cases get this far. Your advocate will let you know if it makes sense for yours.
Social Security Disability is a federal program that pays monthly benefits to adults who cannot work for at least 12 months because of a medical condition. SSDI is funded by the payroll taxes you paid while working; SSI is a needs-based benefit for people with limited income and assets. Both are decided by the Social Security Administration, and both can be appealed if denied.
You qualify for SSDI if all of the following are true:
You have a medical condition that has lasted, or is expected to last, at least 12 months or result in death
The condition prevents you from doing substantial work (the SSA sets a monthly earnings limit each year)
You have enough recent work credits, generally 5 of the last 10 years
You are younger than full retirement age.
You qualify for SSI if your condition meets the same medical standard and your income and countable resources are below the SSA's limits.
Have a qualifying condition, or are 65 or older. Your disability or blindness meets the same medical standard SSA uses for SSDI, or you qualify based on age.
Have limited income. Your countable monthly income, from work or other sources, stays below SSA's limit. For context, in 2026, the maximum SSI benefit is $994 a month for individuals and $1,491 for couples.
Have limited resources. For 2026, the resource limit is $2,000 for one person and $3,000 for a couple. Your home and one car usually don't count.
Live in the U.S. You're a U.S. citizen or meet certain noncitizen requirements, and you live in the 50 states, D.C., or the Northern Mariana Islands.
MEET OUR LEAD SOCIAL SECURITY ADVOCATE
Tiffany Beardslee has seen Social Security Disability claims from both sides of the desk. She started her career as a disability adjudicator at Missouri Disability Determination Services, the state agency that makes medical decisions on disability claims for Social Security, so she knows exactly how a file gets reviewed. In the 25+ years since, she's led claims operations from first application through post-entitlement and trained the teams who handle them. Tiffany is an Eligible for Direct Payment Non-Attorney (EDPNA), a designation that requires passing Social Security's representative exam, and she brings that insider knowledge to every SSDI case at Turnout.
Tiffany Beardslee
“I used to be the one reviewing disability files. Now I make sure yours is ready for that review.”
See if you qualify for disability benefits.
Your advocate builds your SSDI case.
You get peace of mind knowing we're with you every step.
Turnout charges nothing up front and nothing if your claim is not approved. If you win, the Social Security Administration pays our fee directly out of your past-due benefits: 25% of back pay, capped at $9,200 (the SSA maximum since November 2024), and never taken from your ongoing monthly benefit. You never write us a check.
“Amazing, I mean, so far the experience has been really, really good. I've loved it. My dad gets disability as well, and whoever he went through took forever. It took years and years. With Turnout, it was: I applied, they called, they got all my information, and they said, 'Hey, you'd be a great candidate. Let's get the ball rolling.'”
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Tammy E.
The team really is committed to helping individuals with their needs.
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Lily G.
Turnout explains everything in detail and makes the situation understandable.
Samantha
Allison M.
I have tried many times to navigate the government with no success. I decided it was time to get some help, and Turnout has been the exact help I needed.
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Troy B.
Turnout helps the people who need the most help. I couldn't do everything by myself, so I am glad I found them.
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My interaction with Turnout was more than expected; they were very knowledgeable and provided answers before I even asked the questions.
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John C.
Everybody was professional on what it is that they got on the phone to tell me exactly what it is that they're going to do and how they going to represent me
Janet
Tammy E.
The team really is committed to helping individuals with their needs.
Gabriel
Lily G.
Turnout explains everything in detail and makes the situation understandable.
Samantha
Allison M.
I have tried many times to navigate the government with no success. I decided it was time to get some help, and Turnout has been the exact help I needed.
Joshua
Troy B.
Turnout helps the people who need the most help. I couldn't do everything by myself, so I am glad I found them.
Haley
Regina P.
My interaction with Turnout was more than expected; they were very knowledgeable and provided answers before I even asked the questions.
Brenton
John C.
Everybody was professional on what it is that they got on the phone to tell me exactly what it is that they're going to do and how they going to represent me
Janet
Tammy E.
The team really is committed to helping individuals with their needs.
Gabriel
Lily G.
Turnout explains everything in detail and makes the situation understandable.
Samantha
Allison M.
I have tried many times to navigate the government with no success. I decided it was time to get some help, and Turnout has been the exact help I needed.
Joshua
Troy B.
Turnout helps the people who need the most help. I couldn't do everything by myself, so I am glad I found them.
Haley
Regina P.
My interaction with Turnout was more than expected; they were very knowledgeable and provided answers before I even asked the questions.
Brenton
John C.
Everybody was professional on what it is that they got on the phone to tell me exactly what it is that they're going to do and how they going to represent me
Derrik S.
This company is doing great with asking the right questions and getting to the point. They make me feel like I can win.
Cole
Joe E.
There is help out there and turnout is fantastic with helping you out
Daquandra
David N.
The Turnout Team is very kind, courageous and compassionate.
Jenny
Helen T.
You have kept up with me about my case and I appreciate it from the bottom of my heart thank you.
Kyly
Robert L.
The process was smooth and everyone I spoke with was professional.
Page
Patricia M.
I appreciate how responsive and helpful the team has been throughout my case.
James
Derrik S.
This company is doing great with asking the right questions and getting to the point. They make me feel like I can win.
Cole
Joe E.
There is help out there and turnout is fantastic with helping you out
Daquandra
David N.
The Turnout Team is very kind, courageous and compassionate.
Jenny
Helen T.
You have kept up with me about my case and I appreciate it from the bottom of my heart thank you.
Kyly
Robert L.
The process was smooth and everyone I spoke with was professional.
Page
Patricia M.
I appreciate how responsive and helpful the team has been throughout my case.
James
Derrik S.
This company is doing great with asking the right questions and getting to the point. They make me feel like I can win.
Cole
Joe E.
There is help out there and turnout is fantastic with helping you out
Daquandra
David N.
The Turnout Team is very kind, courageous and compassionate.
Jenny
Helen T.
You have kept up with me about my case and I appreciate it from the bottom of my heart thank you.
Kyly
Robert L.
The process was smooth and everyone I spoke with was professional.
Page
Patricia M.
I appreciate how responsive and helpful the team has been throughout my case.
James
SSDI is an insurance benefit funded by the Social Security taxes you paid while working, so it depends on your work history. SSI is a needs-based benefit for people with limited income and assets, regardless of work history. Some people qualify for both. A Turnout advocate will tell you which to file on your first call.
You must have a medical condition that prevents substantial work and has lasted, or is expected to last, at least 12 months. For SSDI you also need enough recent work credits, generally 5 of the last 10 years. For SSI your income and resources must be under the SSA's limits. Turnout reviews both on the first call.
The SSA's current average is about 6 months for an initial decision (186 days as of July 2026). If you are denied and appeal, reconsideration takes about 7 months and a hearing about 9 months from request to decision. A claim that goes to a hearing usually takes 18 months or longer from first filing to back pay, which is why Turnout tracks every deadline for you.
Nothing unless you win. If your claim is approved, the SSA pays Turnout directly from your past-due benefits: 25% of back pay, capped at $9,200, the SSA's current maximum. Nothing comes out of your ongoing monthly benefit and you never pay us directly.
The SSA allows you to be represented by an attorney or by an accredited non-attorney representative. Turnout's representatives are EDPNA (Eligible for Direct Payment, Non-Attorney) representatives recognized by the SSA, which lets them represent you at every SSA stage, including the ALJ hearing and the Appeals Council. Only an attorney can take a claim to federal court.
Most initial claims are denied. You have 60 days to request reconsideration, and if that is denied, 60 days to request a hearing before an administrative law judge, where approval rates are the highest of any stage. Do not start over with a new application unless your advocate tells you to; a new claim can cost you back pay.
Yes, at any stage: while your initial claim is pending, after a denial, at reconsideration or before a hearing. Your advocate files Form SSA-1696 (appointment of representative) with the SSA and takes the case from where it stands, so nothing you have already submitted is lost. If a deadline has passed, they tell you on the first call and explain what can still be done.
You can work while your claim is pending, but earning more than the SSA's monthly substantial gainful activity limit ($1,690 a month in 2026) will usually cause a denial. Tell your advocate before you take any work so the claim can be handled correctly.
SSDI is based on your lifetime average earnings covered by Social Security, not on how severe your condition is. SSI pays up to a federal benefit rate that changes each year ($994 a month for an individual in 2026), reduced by countable income. Turnout can estimate your SSDI amount from your earnings record before you file.
Back pay covers the months between when you became disabled and when you are approved, minus a 5-month waiting period for SSDI, and it can reach back up to 12 months before the date you applied. Because claims commonly take 18 months or more, back pay is often a significant lump sum.
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