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Allsup Corporate Headquarters
300 Allsup Place ~ Belleville, Illinois 62223
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MORE THAN 25 YEARS OF OUTSTANDING SUCCESS
Starting Out
Jim Allsup likes to tell the story of how he started his own company on a few hundred dollars while renting a windowless, two-room office in downtown Belleville, Ill., for $145 per month in 1984. With the confidence of a successful entrepreneur and the charm of a born-and-raised Southern Illinoisan, he can afford to reflect.
Allsup was founded as the nation’s first private, nationwide non-attorney service helping people apply for
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits. Upon earning his bachelor’s degree, Jim went to work for the Social Security Administration (SSA), or what he calls "Uncle Sam's graduate school." Realizing both the complications of the system and its potential, Mr. Allsup was inspired to go it alone. He never regretted his decision.
Building the Company
Mr. Allsup endured his share of ups and downs over the years, but his company continues to progress. Success in the first two years was steady. With four employees in 1986, the company grew quickly in the next five years. In 1991, with the number of clients doubling every year, Mr. Allsup was able to build the current-day corporate headquarters to house his then 89 employees. The unprecedented growth also caught the attention of others. Allsup has been ranked among the top 500 fastest-growing private firms by Inc. magazine. In late 2006, Allsup was recognized by the Better Business Bureau (BBB) with a Torch Award for excellence in customer service. The Council of Better Business Bureaus recognized Allsup's dedication to customers and integrity by naming it a finalist in the 2010 BBB International Torch Awards for Marketplace Excellence.
Allsup has experienced incredible growth. Since establishing a presence on the Internet, the company's websites have proven to be an integral factor for informing and educating the public. The number of claims handled per year, as well as the number of employees, has more than doubled in the past five years.
Government Advocate
Starting in the late 1980s and continuing in recent years, Mr. Allsup has been a frequent speaker before Congressional committees. He successfully challenged several government agency policies and his efforts led to improvements in the disability program. A milestone came in 1997 when he testified before Congress on the Federal Agency Compliance Act. Today Mr. Allsup is working to raise Congressional and public awareness on the growing Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) backlog crisis that threatens people with disabilities nationwide.
Today
Twenty-seven years later, Allsup remains the nation's premier provider of
Social Security disability and Medicare services. With headquarters in Belleville, Ill., and senior representatives around the country, the company now employs nearly 800 employees.
From the first employee – Jim Allsup – to the newest hire, Allsup employees have created an environment that is committed to the specialized needs of those with disabilities. They are dedicated to their customers being treated fairly and having access to the insurance and services they invested in during their working years. Each is driven to deliver what Allsup employees call True Help®.
This philosophy has led to Allsup broadening its support for the disabled community by providing access to additional products and services that will help accommodate more of their financial and healthcare needs. Now, Allsup customers have access to Medicare and resource specialists through the
Allsup Medicare Advisor® and
Disability Life Planning Service®.