A limit on the fees attorneys may collect on Social Security cases has remained unchanged for nearly 13 years, leaving some smaller firms and solo practitioners struggling to keep their practices running as inflation and costs of business outpace their earnings.

The stagnating cap has resulted in a practice area that both fails to attract new talent and drives established practitioners to seek out more profitable types of law, say some Social Security attorneys. Those attorneys say the drain on resources is creating a smaller pool of representation available to vulnerable populations that will ultimately lead to fewer claimants getting the help they need.