As Michles & Booth, P.A. celebrates its 25th anniversary, attorney Antonio Bruni is using a local media appearance to correct what he calls the most damaging misconception about Social Security Disability Insurance: that it is a government handout. Speaking on the program Sonshine's Corner, Bruni emphasized that SSDI is an insurance program funded by workers through payroll deductions from their first job onward, with employers matching the contribution.
"It's not a handout," Bruni said. "You paid for that insurance, and now you need to use the insurance you paid for. I've paid my disability insurance to the government since I was 16, out of every check I ever got." The distinction matters because it frames disability benefits as an earned safety net rather than public assistance, a shift that could influence how claimants, policymakers, and the public view the program.
Bruni, who handles Social Security Disability cases for the firm, explained that eligibility turns on function rather than diagnosis. A medical condition must be expected to last at least 12 months, and Social Security weighs a person's combined limitations and age instead of any single label. He added that veterans are often surprised a VA disability rating does not carry over, because the two systems measure different things.
Processing times have grown, with some claimants in the region waiting as long as three years for a decision, according to Bruni. He urged applicants to file within a year of leaving work to protect retroactive benefits and noted that a denial starts a 60-day clock to appeal. That appeal is the first step in a process that can move from reconsideration to a hearing before a judge and finally to the Appeals Council.
Bruni also cautioned against using artificial-intelligence tools or online forums to build a claim, saying they apply a single rule while missing the exceptions that decide cases. "AI looks at that one rule and misses all the exceptions," he said. "It is destroying cases quickly." The warning underscores the complexity of disability law and the risks of self-representation in a system where details determine outcomes.
For Bruni, the work is personal. He recalled helping his own father file for disability years ago, an experience that shaped his approach. The firm's goal for clients, he said, reaches beyond a monthly payment to include the health coverage an approved claim can provide. More information about Antonio Bruni is available through the firm. The full interview is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U06YwJm83eE.
Founded in 2001, Michles & Booth, P.A. represents injured people and families across Northwest Florida in personal injury, medical malpractice, workers' compensation, and Social Security Disability matters. The firm maintains offices in Pensacola, Crestview, and Fort Walton Beach, and its team includes Florida Bar Board Certified specialists, in-house investigators, and a medical doctor on staff. Michles & Booth also serves as the Official Law Firm of UWF Athletics.
