Disability question: does anyone know if premier disability services is credible?

Nothing here: http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/specific_search/premier%20disability%20services%20
Nothing here either:
http://www.webutations.net/go/review/premierdisabilityservices.com

Here’s the report from the BBB. I don’t like them, because the companies they represent pay them to keep them looking good, but it’s something. If they’ve been in business for 20 years, why does it say they haven’t been in business long enough to know?
http://www.bbb.org/minnesota/business-reviews/social-security-services/premier-disability-services-in-minneapolis-mn-96343177/complaints

Try searching for “premier disability services reviews” for more information.

You can also check with the government entity in your state that issues business licenses so you really know how long they’ve been in business.

I would use an attorney who has extensive experience with disability claims. An attorney will fight harder than a company will, because he will benefit personally, whereas employees of a company will get salary and little or no incentive.

It seems that Disability Advocacy is a big field. This Wall Street Journal article is primarily about one of the largest firms, but discusses the industry in general. It lists the top 10 lawyers by earnings from disability advocacy in 2010, but not the firms’ names.

Whether a small, local law firm or a larger national advocacy firm is better for the consumer, I can’t say. In either case, the business doesn’t earn anything unless they win, so I suspect the larger firms do have their incentives for employees to work hard to win the case.

If it were me, I’d want to have confidence that my advocate has experience, but also that they’ll be careful to do things by the book, so I wouldn’t have to worry about the government later auditing and possibly overturning any rulings because the firm did something underhanded just to push the case through quickly. I can’t say what the chances are of that happening, but with health care, Medicare, the SSA, and government expenses getting scrutinized as carefully as they are right now, I wouldn’t want to take any chances.

Another place you might ask for recommendations are support groups for your condition. I have rheumatoid arthritis, and belong to several online forums. People frequently mention going through the disability process on there. Otherwise, I haven’t found sites where people rate their experiences with disability advocates.

Wow, thank you snowberry. I did find ripoff report but dismissed bbb. I have decided not to go with them. Their 20 complaints in the past three years all focused on the same thing. Lack of help once they retained services.

@jca good idea. I had originally dismissed it as locals and specialties and not being able to afford it but I did a search and found a local service with good reviews. And also found a disability center which is open longer hours and I will check out first.

@hearkat I am the only one of my kind in town the online support group I am a part of I never became a participating member. But if I asked I am sure they would be helpful.

Are you in the US or in England? I have a friend I can ask about using a lawyer if you are in the US.

@janbb US.. Alaska. I have contacted a state run federally mandated disability help group. They advised I file the first one myself. Then come to them if I have been rejected. I did decide to only do local help if I needed to get an attorney as I would have to pay them out of back pay, if they choose to do it by percentage they only have the incentitve to get the first one completely filed. Then there incentive would actually be to prolong the process, I feel only locally I could apply enough pressure to get what speedy thorough service.

I did some creative solutions, and asked my boss if I could call them during lunch stay on hold past that and continue to work until they picked up. Their est. One hour hold time ended up being two and I almost got disconnected because they picked up at a bad time. But it did work and I am back on track! Yay. Thanks for the offer. Janbb.

I’m very familiar with Premier Disability Services, LLC and honored to be involved with this company. I think I can answer your questions and clear up some of the misinformation posted here. Here are the facts:

Complaints: Although Premier does have a few BBB complaints as might be expected for any large company dealing with hundreds of thousands of people, take note that every single complaint has been resolved. Why is this important? When you consider that Premier receives over 15,000 requests for help from Americans every month, (180,000 annually) and has never had an unresolved complaint, that’s pretty impressive! Not a single unresolved complaint. The BBB also doesn’t portray a clear picture because it historically publishes complaints without also bringing in the scope of the size of the company and the fact that the complaints were resolved. Additionally, the BBB just recently (beginning January 2014) added a tab to allow customers to post reviews (both Good and Bad) which will paint a clearer picture over time. Since they added that tab just 30 days ago, I see there have been ALL 5-Star reviews with over 93% of it’s customer’s saying they would recommend Premier to others. (The other 7% apparently missed the question, because none of them answered that they wouldn’t recommend.

http://www.bbb.org/minnesota/business-reviews/social-security-services/premier-disability-services-in-minneapolis-mn-96343177/customer-reviews.

I encourage you to read some of them and I would expect that at the rate they’ve come in- 16 just in the last 3 weeks, there will soon be hundreds or thousands of them. Are the reviews reliable? Yes, unlike other sites, the BBB verifies each and every review to be sure they are actual customers and not fraudulent, or posted by the company themselves.

Considering Premier has more than 1200 great reviews posted elsewhere, this number will certainly keep growing month-to-month as the BBB receives them and puts them through it’s verification process. As noted, the majority of the few complaints were claims for “not providing services”, however, you’ll also notice that for each and every one, Premier not only was able to prove that the person asked for help and hired Premier, but Premier also detailed all of the work they did for each person! Additionally, the SSA pays attorneys and advocates directly for their services and controls if they should receive a fee based on the work that has been performed and is verified. Sadly, every now and then a person hires a company to perform work and after the work is done, claims that nothing was done and objects to their receiving the agreed fair payment. That’s not fair to Premier. If Premier didn’t receive fair payment after work is performed, it couldn’t continue to help almost 200,000 disabled Americans every year. But bottom line is, there is a system in place controlled by the Government to ensure that the public does not over-pay an advocate or attorney, typically they all receive the same standard fees controlled by the Government and only receive a fee IF they win benefits for the client. (More on that below.)

(It was also mentioned above in another response that Premier has no complaints with www.pissedconsumer.com. It’s interesting that their largest competitor that claims to be “Americas Most Successful Social Security Advocates” all over television and online, has 160 complaints on the same site! http://www.pissedconsumer.com/reviews-by-company/binder-and-binder.html. Wow! Zero compared to 160…) I guess it depends on what you call “successful”...

Applying for Disability: While it’s true that you don’t need an advocate or attorney to apply for disability benefits, It’s also a fact that about 80% or more of people that apply on their own are initially DENIED. Mistakes are made on applications (which sometimes cannot be undone), important information forgotten, or quite simply, there is not supporting evidence for the claim. While nobody can guarantee an application will be approved initially, it’s a proven fact that professional assistance by a company that specializes specifically in doing it right and gathering and including the proper supporting information, greatly improves chances of approval and can help avoid delays or ultimate DENIAL. Even if the application is still initially denied (as the Government makes people prove the disability according to it’s criteria) Premier doesn’t stop there. It handles filing for reconsideration, appeals, communicating with the Government on your behalf, making sure the process is followed and no deadlines are missed, filling out paperwork, understanding why it was denied and what it will take to get it approved, gathering that information, and even having it’s attorney’s attend court hearings before a judge, if that’s what it takes to get you approved. And all of that work is completely free of charge unless they DO get you approved. Hmmm… would I rather do something myself that I have no experience in and don’t completely understand or have someone willing to help me that is an expert at it and specializing in that one thing only, getting people approved and handling all the red tape. And all of that on a contingency basis, they don’t win, they get nothing!

And what’s at risk? Well, if you consider that Social Security Disability benefits can be made up of “back pay” (calculated from the time that you became unable to work, and Premier will fight to prove the earliest possible onset date, resulting in more money for you), and then the other portion is ongoing future payments. The lifetime benefits value to you could amount to a very substantial combined sum of $250,000 up to $750,000 or more depending on your age, award amount, and how long you need to collect benefits. Now, fees for representation are controlled by the Government and are capped at 25% of “back pay” ONLY (typically your first check) up to a maximum of $6000, and no portion of future payments. (I’d say the average fee Premier receives for each case won is about $1700, and only when they win.) Considering the work involved for Premier’s staff and attorneys, the expertise, education, experience, it seems to me a no-brainer. Would I risk $300,000 or more to try to save paying $1700 that I don’t even have to pay unless I get the $300,000 or more? Of course not! In what other areas can you get experts and attorneys working for you for free with no out-of-pocket upfront expense to you and agree that ONLY if they win, do they get to receive a fee and have that fee be such a small percentage of the money they’ve used their expertise to get you approved for?

What about a local attorney? Of course I can’t speak for the records and services of unidentified lawyers, but Premier Disability has an estimated 500 local attorneys nationwide to represent clients in court, if it comes to that. Getting people approved for Social Security Disability IS ALL PREMIER DOES, day in and day out. The Fact is that Premier Disability with it’s staff and attorneys wins more disability claims for it’s clients every month than most regional law firms win in a lifetime! For the most part, Premier doesn’t use “advocates” to go to court, they use their approved local attorneys and represent clients in each and every city and state across the country.

Is Premier good at what they do? Well, first they are very selective about the people they offer to represent and if you were offered representation, your 1 out of every 8 people that request help. (about 13–14%) If Premier determines that they can’t make a significant difference in your chances or award amount, they won’t offer to represent you. Remember, they have to WIN to get paid. And because they know from extensive experience who they can and cannot make a difference for based on your specific case, Premier has published their success rate and makes public that over 97% of it’s clients who complete the Social Security Disability process with Premier Disability AND follow it’s Unique Disability Process System are successful! That’s incredible! Compare that to the success rate of your local law firm or other advocacy companies.

The comment about the largest firms as reported by the Wall Street Journal doesn’t paint a clear picture. It simply goes by who’s name is on the fee agreement and therefore issued payment, but many larger company’s and law firms have multiple people sign the fee agreements, so it’s really not at all an accurate portrayal of “the largest”. I do know Premier has an estimated 200 employees and attorneys at his home office and around 500 attorneys across the country to represent it’s clients in court, and is certainly among the largest and most respected in the country based on number of employees and attorneys, number of clients, and success rate.

Premier’s owner and founder is Thomas A Klint, also a partner in family owned, Midwest Disability & Klint Law Group. Tom is one of the few that has been awarded the “SuperLawyer” distinction and has been helping people get disability benefits for 30 years. He is highly respected in the legal community nationwide and Tom got into this area of law because he has two family members with severe disabilities that have had to rely on disability benefits. His values are shared throughout the company and his belief “If you do the right thing and help people, good things happen” (Read his bio) and the motto at Premier is “We Put People Before Profits”. How many companies these days just want to make a positive difference in suffering people’s lives? I know Tom personally and am very proud to know him. Tom doesn’t live in an elaborate expensive home or drive a Mercedes, he lives in a modest home and drives a pick-up truck! He also helps people with their workers compensation claims… He’s genuinely a super guy and incredible lawyer that instead of chasing after high dollar personal injury clients or other areas of law, he’s chosen to dedicate his life and career to helping the needy and receive modest payment for outstanding services.

Yes, I may be a bit biased, but the facts are the facts. Is Premier Disability Services, LLC a credible company?.... Absolutely and you’d be hard pressed to find another company more credible in my opinion, as well as according to their track record and success rate. And if you’re fortunate enough to be offered Premier’s representation for obtaining disability benefits, I’d consider you very fortunate indeed. (I also personally have two family members on disability benefits and thank God for companies like Premier that will fight the Government to get them what they need and deserve..) I’m also tired of reading about all the press saying the SSDI program is a handout and people that can really work are costing taxpayers billions. The fact is, if there isn’t medical records to support someone’s inability to work, they will NOT get approved. I don’t like they make it sound like people just get on disability because they don’t want to work. They might try, but the SSA requires proof. And what about the Millions of people that shouldn’t be working but keep trying, probably worsening their condition. What about the millions that don’t know about help offered by great companies like Premier and apply, get rejected, and give up although they should receive the benefits that they paid for out of their own contributions to social security from deductions taken from their paychecks (FICA) over many years from their paycheck??? What about people that don’t even know they have paid for a government insurance policy from those deductions and they can apply to receive their rightfully deserved own money back!?! Anyway, sorry so long, but I saw you decided not to go with Premier and what the others posted, and in fairness to all, thought I should take the time to offer an educated response from someone truly familiar…

Oh, one other comment, @janbb was right when posting be careful, some law firms will intentionally delay the process to maximize their profits. That is both wrong and unethical practice. I do know Premier does not believe in that sort of thing at all, people suffering and in grave financial position need that money and they care and strive to get benefits approved as quickly as possible, even if it means they don’t get a fee at all or get a lesser fee. That’s where their motto comes from “We Put people before Profits”. It’s a statement of total disgust toward the unscrupulous law firms…

And although you stand a better chance of getting approved and more quickly with experienced help, no matter who represents you don’t be surprised if the Government Denies the claim and makes you prove your disabled with the help of an attorney or advocate. But if you are unable to work, also realize that time limits do apply and to qualify you have to apply within a certain period of time after becoming disabled. Some people wait too long hoping their condition will get better or not realizing it’s an insurance policy they were forced to purchase by law and are entitled to and don’t want a “hand-out”, and then when they do apply they’ve lost their benefits. You can always get approved and receive benefits, and if your condition gets better and you can return to work, you simply elect to stop receiving benefits. The program is for people that have been, or will be unable to work for a year or more due to a disabling condition (according to SSA criteria) and the government hopes you do get better and go back to work. Also, the criteria is different depending on age, generally if you’re under 50, you have to not be able to earn about $1000 or more per month, but if over 50, you may be able to work at some job, but if you can no longer work doing what you did before and earn similar income, you may qualify….

Thank you @djcooke68 I’m sorry I just logged on for the first time in forever.

I personally found out that I am not eligible because I work for the state and pay federal tax but not fica. Though I am eligible for a state disability since I have only been working there for 8 years but SSD only looks at the last 5 years my benefit amount is major medical plan and a 495 check a month where you can’t even find a roommate for that cheap. But there are possibly other things I can apply. It’s a side note but interesting none the less since I did pay a fica tax for at least 5 years prior, as a 28 year old… Well no one expects to be disabled at my age.

But… It’s not a place I want to stay so by the time I get this crap figured out hopefully I will well on my way off of it.

I’m with premier now, they seem great. I’m in appeals right now, tried for a year on my own and failed. I have not worked since march 2015, they said if i get any turn off notices anything they would be more than happy to send a letter explaining.

Premier Disabilty has had my husband’s claim since Dec. 2015 and we still do not have benefits and each time I contact them, they have no idea what his claim status is. In my opinion they are not worth the money. I know more about our claim status than Premier ever does. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if they were the reason my husband’s claim is delayed because let’s face it, who stands to benefit most if there is a large payout….Premier! I say find a local attorney who handles social security issues and use them NOT Premier!!!!