(Photo not that of the actual client.)
“James,” 64, rode his bike to St. Johns County Legal Aid, JALA’s St. Augustine office, to request help with a legal name change. James was homeless, deaf in one ear, and had such a bad knee that he often collapsed and fell.
Because of his poor physical condition, he stopped getting chosen when he stood in line for day-labor pick-up. The managing attorney noticed that James was living on just $325 a month in Social Security. He told her he couldn’t get disability benefits because he thought he didn’t qualify. Knowing better, the legal aid attorney assisted him with the application and went to interviews with him at the Social Security office.
Ultimately, his Supplemental Security Income (SSI) application was approved. James was ecstatic the first time he saw the disability benefits appear in his bank account. It turns out he was eligible for up to $780 a month, which when combined with his meager Social Security benefit would enable James to live “like a king,” as he said.
One of the things James did with the money was to get a driver’s license, something most of us take for granted when we’re required to present one to conduct everyday transactions. James returned to the legal aid office to show off his new ID and to thank his legal aid attorney with a big hug for changing his life.
