The Social Security Administration has published the updated numbers seen below on payments of fees to attorneys and others for representing claimants before the agency.
Note that fee payments went up by 80% between January and June, but then went down 21% between June and July. To those who work at Social Security who think this means that attorneys who represent Social Security claimants took home 80% more in June than in January and then 21% less in July, which is itself a huge variation, think again. Those who represent claimants usually have substantial office expenses. These office expenses are a fixed "nut" that change little from month to month. The practical effect of this is that the net profit (or loss) of someone who represents Social Security claimants for a living swings far more wildly from month to month than one might think from reading Social Security's numbers. These fluctuations which seem dramatic even on the surface are far more dramatic for those on the receiving end. It is a wild ride.
Note that fee payments went up by 80% between January and June, but then went down 21% between June and July. To those who work at Social Security who think this means that attorneys who represent Social Security claimants took home 80% more in June than in January and then 21% less in July, which is itself a huge variation, think again. Those who represent claimants usually have substantial office expenses. These office expenses are a fixed "nut" that change little from month to month. The practical effect of this is that the net profit (or loss) of someone who represents Social Security claimants for a living swings far more wildly from month to month than one might think from reading Social Security's numbers. These fluctuations which seem dramatic even on the surface are far more dramatic for those on the receiving end. It is a wild ride.
Fee Payments | ||
|---|---|---|
| Month/Year | Volume | Amount |
| Jan-07 | 15,331 | $55,149,991.81 |
| Feb-07 | 19,301 | $69,731,683.72 |
| Mar-07 | 26,505 | $94,396,916.02 |
Apr-07 | 26,889 | $96,650,134.82 |
May-07 | 24,429 | $86,625,391.60 |
June-07 | 27,716 | $99,357,038.71 |
July-06 | 21,807 | $78,273,082.88 |
Attorneys can make over $5000 and meet their clients for the first time immediately prior to the hearing. That shows the quality of representation out there. If anything, attorneys like yourself should be most appreciative of the large salary you get for relatively little effort. Attorneys should not delay and reschedule hearings at the last minute and rather honestly represent their clients.
ReplyDeleteGood thing it's not about the money...
ReplyDelete