Working from home as a disability advocate can be rewarding both financially and in the intangible sense of satisfaction you get from representing people who are filing for disability benefits through Social Security. Many people who can't work are denied these benefits, and a disability advocate's work is to prepare a case by gathering information and submitting their case to Social Security stating why the applicant qualifies. The Social Security Administration is required by federal law to review the advocate's argument before deciding whether to grant an applicant disability income. A well educated and articulate specialist who writes well has a better chance of winning a case than many applicants would have on their own. Such jobs in disability advocacy are great for people who have good initiative and work ethics and want to work from home.

The first step is to go through the training you need to become an advocate. A number of private companies have training that you can go through at home, but it isn't necessary to purchase one of these training programs to be able to handle jobs in disability processing. It is also possible to get training for this type of disability job through an established company that offers the service. The Social Security Administration's publication "Your Right to Representation" outlines the requirements for becoming a disability advocate. The publication spells out the rights of someone filing for disability insurance. Advocates must be very knowledgeable about this information.

Certification to jobs in disability advocacy comes from the Social Security Administration itself. There is no other certification from an educational authority or governing body. In-depth knowledge of the way the Social Security Administration works is necessary for certification. An applicant submits his or her request in writing for a representative using Form SSA-1696, "Request for Representation."

Some jobs in disability processing assistance are more specialized than others. Some people specialize in Social Security disability benefits, and others may specialize in state disability insurance advocacy. When you set up your home office, you'll need a computer with Internet access, a fax machine, phone, and copier. With each disability job you will be completing and copying a lot of paperwork, so it is important that you and your office be well organized to manage the case file paperwork as efficiently and thoroughly as possible.

Specialists with jobs in disability advocacy charge fees of at least 10% of the benefit award. Social Security requires recognized disability advocates submitting Form SSA-1699 to receive their fee directly from the Social Security Administration rather than the beneficiary. Certain disabilities can apply for what is called advanced standing so that they can get their application processed quicker than applicants with other types of disabilities. A Certified Disability Specialist will make less when handling advanced standing cases because their fee is a percentage of Social Security back pay that the applicant is awarded. The back pay dates to the day the person became disabled and continues until the Social Security Administration sends the first benefits check.

If you're interested in jobs in disability advocacy, you must be aware that Social Security rules change frequently, and the process of applying for benefits is complicated. You must be up to date in your training and knowledge of the rules and regulations of the Social Security Administration. The time frame for having an application processed will depend on the type of disability the applicant has and the amount of paperwork involved. A good disability specialist can greatly speed up the process of getting an applicant his or her Social Security benefits.

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Top disability jobs are scattered on the websites of tens of thousands of companies, organizations and other job boards. It requires creativity to bring everyone together: Through collaborative research and working harmoniously with many people, we are able put these jobs in one place and give you the ability to see a variety of jobs you would not see elsewhere. Other job sites only show you jobs that employers are paying to post there. We believe this creates tension and discord and that every job should be in one place. We do not accept any money from advertisers for job postings so that we can research and provide you with unbiased research about every job opening in the market. We give you the resources to analyze your career options in a creative and imaginative manner.

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