Disability Justice

DISABILITY
JUSTICE
POND LEHOCKY STERN GIORDANO
2015 VOL. 1
IN THIS ISSUE Announcing Disability Justice: Fighting
Announcing Disability Justice:
Fighting for your rights at the
national level
Partner Thomas Giordano,
Jr. selected to The National
Advocates Top 100 Lawyers
Social Security disability
benefits ONLY increased 1.7
percent in 2015
Disability Justice now available
24/7 with new client portal: My
Case Status
We’ve moved our New York
City office
Scranton office now handling
Social Security disability
for your rights at the national level
Pond Lehocky Stern Giordano has
experienced tremendous growth over
the past several years. In addition to
representing workers’ compensation
clients throughout Pennsylvania, we have
represented thousands of Social Security
disability clients in all 50 states and Puerto
Rico.
In line with these developments, we’re proud
to announce that Pond Lehocky’s Social
Security disability department will now
be called Disability Justice. It will function
as a nationwide organization dedicated
to advocating for disabled individuals,
while delivering the same top-quality legal
representation you have come to know and
expect.
Did you know? Facts about
Social Security disability
As a Pond Lehocky client, what does this
mean for me?
Our political action initiatives
For you, it’s really just a name change. Rest
assured that your Pond Lehocky attorney,
team and case status won’t change in any
way. You will still receive the same expert
representation and personal care you
have come to expect. Plus, you will have
the satisfaction of knowing that through
DISABILITY JUSTICE, LLC
800.773.1330
www.disabilityjustice.com
Disability Justice, we are now advocating
even more forcefully for your rights and the
rights of all disabled individuals.
Why do we need advocacy for Social
Security disability insurance (SSDI)?
Congress must act before 2016 to prevent
a 20 percent decrease in SSDI benefits. A
reallocation of funds from the Old Age and
Survivors Insurance (OASI) Trust Fund to
the Disability Insurance Trust Fund would
prevent a decrease, but some politicians
don’t want to save SSDI and are painting
it to be a welfare program or government
handout. That is simply not true. It’s
crucial that everyone understand the truth
about SSDI and how it helps hardworking
Americans during their time of need.
As we continue to provide exceptional
representation in the courtroom, we are
also fighting on behalf of our clients in the
political arena. We’ll keep you updated in
the coming months about the progress we’re
making in Washington.
Partner Thomas Giordano, Jr. selected to
The National Advocates Top 100 Lawyers
Partner Thomas Giordano, Jr. became a
member of The National Advocates Top
100 Lawyers, an exclusive, invitationonly organization composed of the top
100 attorneys from each state who serve
those in need.
Under Tom’s leadership, Disability
Justice has grown to a nationwide
practice. The department has expanded
tremendously in just four years.
Beginning with three members, the
Social Security disability department
now has more than 100 members,
including attorneys, all devoted to
advocating and protecting the rights of
the disabled. It has helped thousands of
people receive their disability benefits in
all 50 states and Puerto Rico.
Read more here.
Social Security disability benefits ONLY
increased 1.7 percent in 2015
As of January 2015, the Social Security Administration
included a cost of living adjustment — a 1.7 percent
increase — for Social Security benefits. The average
monthly payment for disabled workers rose from
$1,146 to $1,165. Approximately 64 million Americans
benefited from this increase, which was determined by
the Consumer Price Index provided by the Department
of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Disability Justice now available 24/7 with new client
portal: My Case Status
You know you can always reach out to us at Disability Justice
with your questions and issues. Now there is an additional
way to get fast updates about your case: My Case Status, our
exclusive online client portal. It is a unique service that no
other advocacy group of our kind offers.
Go to mycasestatus.disabilityjustice.com to log into My
Case Status. The portal is chock-full of useful resources and
information for our Social Security disability clients, and it’s
accessible 24/7 — anytime it’s convenient for you.
Check the status and progress of your case
See your case timeline and milestones — including
detailed explanations of each step — and easily submit
changes.
Receive communications from your attorney and
legal team
Get messages about important new developments
in your case.
Quickly update your basic information
Change things like your address and phone number
without having to make a phone call.
Watch videos of frequently asked questions
Video FAQs make the legal process easier to understand.
Send, receive and view medical documents for your
case
Our HIPAA-compliant Document Library makes the
process simple and secure.
Send a secure message to your legal team
You will also be notified of their response in real time,
via email.
Notify us of additional legal needs
View a checklist of other legal services that you may
need help with.
satellite
office
updates
..................................................
Did
you
know?
..................................................
Date
Dollars
SALARY
}
We’ve moved our
New York City office
$
Pay to the order of
6.2%
$
For the convenience of our clients, our New York
City office is now located at:
355 Lexington Avenue, 10th Floor
New York, NY 10017
Our Social Security disability attorneys Jacob Neff
and Brynn Lapszynski head the New York office.
To make an appointment, please call
800.773.1300.
Scranton office now handling
Social Security disability
We are now available to see clients in our
Scranton, PA office. Located at 532 Lackawanna
Avenue, Scranton, PA 18503, attorney Michael
Parker is available to see clients. To make an
appointment, please call 800.773.1300. Walk ins
are also welcome.
For every
paycheck
you earn,
6.2 percent
of it goes to
your Social
Security.
You’ve
funded your
own Social
Security
disability
insurance.
Don’t let
politicians
try to
convince you
that Social
Security
disability is a
government
handout.
It’s your
money that
you saved
in case you
become
disabled and
cannot work.
DISABILITY
JUSTICE
POND LEHOCKY STERN GIORDANO
DISABILITY JUSTICE, LLC
One Commerce Square
2005 Market Street, 3rd Floor, Suite 350
Philadelphia, PA 19103
800.773.1300
www.disabilityjustice.com
WE NEED YOUR HELP!
Social Security disability is under attack
The Social Security disability system may be in jeopardy
if politicians do not act now and stand up for your rights.
You have funded Social Security disability by working
and paying into the system with every paycheck. It’s your
money, not a government handout as some politicians
would have you believe. It is crucial that you contact your
representative today and urge them to stand up for your
rights. Here’s why:
The benefits you’ve earned and rely on may
be reduced
There may be a shortage of money in the Disability
Insurance (DI) Trust Fund in 2016 if lawmakers do not
take action. This shortage could be prevented if funds
are reallocated from the Social Security Old Age and
Survivors Insurance (OASI) Trust Fund to the DI Trust
Fund, which has been done successfully 11 times in the
past. Without a reallocation, disability benefits may see a
20 percent decrease in 2016.
An option to keep Social Security solvent may
be taken away
Republican members of the House made a change to
their proposed rules package that makes it more difficult
to pass legislation to protect Social Security recipients.
Funds would not be permitted to be reallocated from the
OASI Trust Fund to the DI Trust Fund without benefit
cuts or tax increases, putting your benefits at risk.
People are dying before they receive their
benefits because of delays
In most states, the wait time to receive a hearing is
over a year. These lengthy delays within the system are
impeding Americans’ rights to collect the money that
they’ve earned. In one study from the National Institutes
of Health, 42,000 applicants died before a decision was
made on their disability claims.
Here’s how you can help
We’re doing everything we can to advocate on your
behalf by contacting representatives and urging them to
uphold your rights, but we need your help. We all need to
work together to protect Social Security.
Go to our Political Action page for letters you can
send to your lawmaker. Tell them your rights are
important!