SSD for Drug & Alcohol Abuse Attorney in Lake Oswego, Oregon

You have a physical condition or mental disorder that keeps you from working. However, if you have a history of drug or alcohol use — or are currently struggling with addiction — you may be worried about whether you are still eligible for Social Security Disability benefits. There is no need to worry about the impact that drug or alcohol use might have on your eligibility when an experienced SSDI lawyer could be working now to make your claim as strong as possible to get you disability benefits for drug and alcohol abuse.

At JP Law PC, attorneys Melissa Kenney and Lisa Porter-Lang have spent their careers helping people who felt like “underdogs” in the legal system, like fighting for disability benefits for drug and alcohol abuse. They know the SSDI application and appeals process can be intimidating. They are committed to being aggressive when it comes to the legal side of our clients' claims, while being understanding and compassionate toward our clients themselves.

We offer a free, confidential consultation and represent clients throughout Oregon Washington, California, and Hawaii.

How Substance Use Can Affect an Application

There are several ways that drug or alcohol use (referred to by the Social Security Administration as Drug Abuse and Alcoholism, or DAA) can impact a claim for SSDI benefits.

If your use of drugs, alcohol, or even nicotine is severe enough to constitute a medically determinable impairment and you have other potentially eligible conditions, SSA must determine whether your disability would persist even if you stopped using drugs or alcohol, or stopped smoking. If it would not, your claim is not likely to be approved. Similarly, if substance use is the only condition that forms the basis of your claim, it is likely to be rejected.

We will carefully look at your history of substance use and other physical or mental conditions you have to determine the best way to prepare your claim, and be with you at every stage of the process.

If you have previously sought help for an addiction, or have even been arrested on a drug-related charge, the SSA cannot use this as evidence in determining your eligibility for benefits.

Learn More About SSDI Eligibility

Contact us if you have questions about disability benefits for drug & alcohol abuse or need compassionate and experienced help with your application. Call our lawyers or email us directly through our website.