Although there are aspects of our Social Security Administration that I do not care for—and I’ve made a living contesting its wrongful denials of disability benefits—I have to say that our Social Security system is a life-saver for many Americans. Having helped clients through the Social Security Disability process for decades, I have seen first-hand just how impactful and absolutely necessary disability benefits—especially Medicare/Medicaid benefits—are to the very survival of many individuals. Being able to better the lives of others by fighting for these much-needed services is one of many reasons I take great pride in my work. Sadly, these benefits are often difficult to obtain without legal assistance, and only a small percentage of individuals have short-term or long-term disability insurance.

From a retirement perspective, however, Social Security benefits have served, and continue to serve, as a necessary means for most of America’s retirees. Last year, approximately 42.5 million retirees drew Social Security, and it served as the primary source of income for over half of those individuals. Currently, I do not receive Social Security income as I am actively practicing law and plan to continue doing so for the foreseeable future. However, I recently enrolled in Medicare and can attest to just how vital the federal program is and, even more so, how necessary it will be when (or if) I decide to wind down my career and settle into retirement.

The Social Security Administration offers services beyond retirement and disability benefits which many individuals may not know are available to them. April is National Social Security Month and a perfect time to become more familiar with the types of benefits and services offered through the Social Security Administration. To learn more about Social Security generally, please visit https://www.ssa.gov/. Additionally, you can find out more about filing a Social Security Disability claim by reading Attorney Lisa Cotten’s article here.