Category Archives: Disability

CCHCC is saving lives with Social Security Disability Benefits!

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March 25, 2025

The work of CCHCC’s Disability Team is nothing short of amazing! Our Disability Team is made up of only two full-time staff members, and one part-time staff member. In terms of “dollars and cents”, here is what CCHCC’s Disability Team has accomplished in the last few months for our community members:

• Secured Disability Benefits for 24 individuals;
• Secured over $120,000 in “lump sum backpay” for local community members (the actual amount is much greater; these data are from the 16 clients who shared their backpay information with us; an additional 8 clients were approved for backpay, but did not report their amounts to us);
• Secured monthly income from Disability Benefits for 24 individuals, which amounts to $319,188 in total combined income per year, and an average monthly income of $26,599 for these individuals combined; average monthly income per individual is $1,108.

CCHCC’s Disability Team saves lives, brings income to destitute individuals who are disabled, and prevents homelessness. Many of the clients who come to us who need help applying for Disability Benefits are individuals who are at the end of their ropes, with some feeling suicidal due to hopelessness. And many are already homeless, or at-risk for homelessness.

Applying for Disability Benefits through the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program, and/or the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program is extremely difficult, frustrating, and discouraging. It can take a very long time – months or even years – and during this time, the people applying are unable to work due to a disabling condition or conditions. These individuals are quite literally just trying to survive the process, hoping for income, stability, and security.

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CCHCC’s Disability Application Services Program is up and running!

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June 2023

Champaign County Health Care Consumers (CCHCC) is excited to let you know that our newly-created Disability Application Services Program is up and running!

CCHCC has had a vision for this program for many years because we know how difficult it is for individuals to work through the disability application process on their own. Applying for disability through the Social Security Administration is a truly brutal and baffling process, and all too often, people who need disability benefits tend to “give up” and are unable to get through the application process on their own. Research shows that people who have ”advocates” helping them with disability applications are far more likely to be approved for benefits.

CCHCC’s new staff members are already helping many community members apply for disability benefits! CCHCC is pleased to announce that Vivian Adams and Shea Belahi are our amazing Disability Application Specialists. Vivian also serves as the Coordinator of our Disability Application Services Program. Both Vivian and Shea are kind, compassionate, and highly skilled. We are so excited to have them on staff at CCHCC and joining Paulette Colemon and myself on the Disability Team. In July, we will also welcome Babatunde Amao to CCHCC as another Disability Application Specialist.

People who have disabling conditions that limit their ability to work and carry out activities of daily living, are also often suffering from poverty and struggling to make ends meet. CCHCC is uniquely situated to help individuals in this position because, not only can we help them apply for disability benefits, we can also help them apply for other benefits such as SNAP (food stamps), health insurance, energy assistance, free phones, and more.

What is “disability”, as a benefit? “Disability” as a benefit refers to the income supports programs that provide beneficiaries with monthly income, made available by State and Federal governments:

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