Taylor and Jones Counties
Abilene residents filing for SSDI or SSI, or fighting a denial, can work with attorney Ty Groat, licensed in Texas since December 2009. Call (325) 659-2305.
West Texas Roots
Abilene sits in Taylor and Jones counties, and US 277 runs 89 miles southwest from the city to San Angelo, where the Law Office of Ty Groat keeps its office. Ty Groat holds a bachelor's degree from Angelo State University and a law degree from St. Mary's University School of Law. He opened his own firm in January 2018, more than eight years after earning his Texas law license.
For many people, the right disability lawyer in Abilene, TX is one who knows how claims from this part of Texas move through Social Security. Ty Groat brings over a decade of experience to that work. His friendly staff gives you clear, quick answers and full-service help.
You can reach the office by phone at (325) 659-2305 or by email at tygroatlaw@gmail.com. Office hours are Monday to Thursday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM, and Friday, 8:30 AM to 12:00 PM.
San Angelo Office 1002 S Koenigheim St Ste BPrograms
Two federal programs pay disability benefits, and they follow different rules. SSDI depends on the Social Security taxes you paid while working, while SSI depends on limited income and resources. Many Abilene households qualify for one, some for both, and a denial in either can be appealed.
For workers whose condition now keeps them off the job. Approval leads to Medicare after a waiting period, and the rules allow some work while you receive benefits.
For adults and children with limited income and resources. In Texas, SSI approval generally opens the door to Medicaid coverage as well.
A denial letter starts a 60 day clock. Reconsideration comes first, then a hearing before an administrative law judge.
Abilene's Social Security field office sits at 1202 E South 11th Street. You can file there, by phone or online. The notices about your claim will come from Social Security no matter how you apply, so keep every envelope and note the date it arrived.
The office does not make the medical call. A state team, Texas Disability Determination Services, reads your records and weighs whether your limits keep you from work. Social Security then makes the final call. A file that arrives complete, with every clinic visit and every referral accounted for, gives those reviewers less reason to say no.
If the answer is no, the appeal has to be filed within 60 days of the notice. Ty Groat helps Abilene clients meet that date and add the evidence the first file was missing.
Hendrick Medical Center runs two large hospital campuses, one on the north side of Abilene and one on the south side, so a great many local claims depend on Hendrick records. Those records show diagnoses, imaging and surgeries. They rarely say, in plain terms, how long you can stand, how much you can lift, or how often pain or treatment would pull you away from a job.
Ty Groat fills that gap. The firm asks for your full records, checks them for missing visits, and asks your doctors to put your limits in writing. At a hearing, a job witness may say you could still do some kind of work. Those written limits give the judge something real to weigh against that.
The same approach works for records from family doctors, mental health providers and physical therapists anywhere in Taylor and Jones counties. Every provider you have seen adds a piece to the picture Social Security reviews.
Dyess Air Force Base on the west side of the city has long been Abilene's largest employer, followed by Hendrick Health, Abilene ISD, the Abilene State Supported Living Center and the City of Abilene. Civilian jobs at places like these, along with years in construction, trucking along I-20 or retail, build the work credits that SSDI depends on.
Your past jobs also matter to the medical decision. Social Security asks whether you can return to the work you did before and, if not, whether other work exists for someone with your age, education and limits. A clear, accurate job history helps answer that question in your favor.
People who have tried to keep working part time ask how much they can earn without losing benefits. That question has firm rules, and getting it right protects both the claim and the benefits that follow.
Yes. The Abilene field office at 1202 E South 11th St takes applications in person, and you can also apply by phone or online. Whichever way you file, Ty Groat can help you gather your medical records and work history first, so the application reaches Social Security as complete as possible.
Yes, if you were seen at both. Social Security decides a claim on the records in front of it, and a missing surgery, emergency visit or referral note on one campus can leave a gap. The firm requests records from every Hendrick location and outside clinic where you were treated, then checks the file for missing dates.
Usually, yes. Civilian jobs where Social Security taxes were withheld earn work credits toward SSDI, just as private jobs do. Your earnings record shows which years counted. Ty Groat can review that record with you and make sure your job history is described accurately in the claim.
You have 60 days from the date you receive the denial notice to request reconsideration, the first level of appeal. If that is denied, you get another 60 days to request a hearing before an administrative law judge. Call (325) 659-2305 as soon as the letter arrives so new evidence can be added in time.
Talk It Over
A disability claim from Abilene deserves the same careful file as one from anywhere else in West Texas. Ty Groat will listen to what happened, explain which program fits, and tell you plainly what your claim needs next. Call during office hours, or look over the other service areas the firm covers.
Call the office: (325) 659-2305
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