As Michles & Booth, P.A. commemorates its 25th anniversary, the firm's Social Security Disability attorney, Antonio Bruni, is challenging what he describes as the most damaging misconception about the benefit: that it is a government handout. In an interview on the local program Sonshine's Corner, Bruni stressed that Social Security Disability Insurance, or SSDI, is insurance funded by workers through payroll deductions from their first job onward, with employers matching the contribution. "It's not a handout," Bruni said. "You paid for that insurance, and now you need to use the insurance you paid for. I've paid my disability insurance to the government since I was 16, out of every check I ever got." The distinction matters for readers because it reframes a program that supports millions of Americans as an earned safety net rather than public assistance, potentially reducing the stigma that keeps eligible workers from filing.
Bruni explained that eligibility for Social Security Disability turns on function rather than diagnosis. A medical condition must be expected to last at least 12 months, and Social Security weighs a person's combined limitations and age instead of any single label. He added that veterans are often surprised a VA disability rating does not carry over, because the two systems measure different things. For injured workers and their families, understanding these nuances can mean the difference between a successful claim and a denial.
Processing times have grown, Bruni said, with some claimants in the region waiting as long as three years for a decision. He urged applicants to file within a year of leaving work to protect retroactive benefits, and noted that a denial starts a 60-day clock to appeal, the first step in a process that can move from reconsideration to a hearing before a judge, and finally to the Appeals Council. These delays can leave disabled workers without income for years, making early and accurate filing critical.
Bruni also cautioned against using artificial-intelligence tools or online forums to build a claim, saying they apply a single rule while missing the exceptions that decide cases. "AI looks at that one rule and misses all the exceptions," he said. "It is destroying cases quickly." The warning is significant as more claimants turn to chatbots and forums for guidance, potentially jeopardizing valid claims.
Bruni said the work is personal, recalling that he helped his own father file for disability years ago. The firm's goal for clients, he said, reaches beyond a monthly payment to include the health coverage an approved claim can provide. More information about Antonio Bruni is available through the firm.
