Cooper and Friedman Attorney Ashley Ervin Offers Pro Bono Legal Services to Social Security Recipients in Eastern Kentucky
Written by Cooper & Friedman PLLC on February 8, 2016
In May 2015 hundreds of people in Eastern Kentucky received suspension notices from the Social Security Administration stating that recipients would no longer receive payments for disability unless they provided new evidence of their disability.
The suspension notices were sent based on allegations that an Eastern Kentucky social security attorney bribed officials into granting all of his clients’ petitions for benefits. Thus, the Social Security Administration forced all of the attorney’s former clients to go through a re-determination process to figure out whether they qualified for their benefits at the time they first applied.
The attorney’s former clients were given only ten (10) days to respond to the notification suspending their benefits. As reported by John Rosenberg on Kentucky.com, within a couple of days, two (2) suicides were associated with these notifications. After a class-action lawsuit challenged the Social Security Administration’s actions, the attorney’s former clients were given the chance to formally contest the actions and thus have a better chance at continued receipt of benefits.
Many are struggling to find the necessary legal help to argue their case and have their benefits continued. Attorneys across the nation, including Louisville attorney Ashley Ervin of the law firm Cooper and Friedman, PLLC, have stepped up to provide free legal services for those in need.
There are 1,470 clients up for re-determination on the basis of the alleged fraud, none of which have the ability to pay an attorney to represent them in the matter. There are hundreds more that will face a re-determination hearing without the assistance of counsel. Those who are interested in helping out by providing pro bono legal services and support can contact Mary Going at (606) 886-8136, Ext. 1315 for more information.