There is no doubt that as a Social Security disability law office Greeman Toomey PLLC is a business that is looking to make a profit like any other business is, but the fees we collect, just like any other entities that represent Social Security disability applicants, are regulated by the Social Security Administration and those fees are quite reasonable when you consider the specifics.
As a Social Security disability law firm, we are only able to collect a fee if we win a disability case for a client and Social Security authorizes the fee. Social Security allows representatives to collect a fee of 25 percent or up to $6,000 (whichever is less) of the past-due benefits a claimant is awarded by Social Security. For example, if a claimant is found disabled by the Social Security and they are due to receive $40,000 in past due benefits the representative would be eligible to receive the maximum of $6,000 even though 25 percent of the past-due benefits would be $10,000. This fee structure that Social Security controls has not increased in over seven years since 2009, but some representatives have said it’s time for fees to increase.
The Greeman Toomey Law Office is not advocating one way or another, but it is a fact that there are fewer Social Security representatives than there were a few years ago because some representatives are finding it increasingly difficult to continue to profit without increased compensation at least to the degree of cost of living increase numbers.
The Coalition for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD), which is an umbrella of disability organizations, is calling for an increase in the current fee cap Social Security has had in place since 2009. A quick calculation shows that if the fee cap kept up with the cost of living since 2009 the fee cap would already be over $7,000 compared to today’s $6,000. The CCD is recommending that the fee gap be increased to less than a cost of living increase to $6,904. Unfortunately, there is not indication Social Security will act anytime soon.
