Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits are paid to disabled individuals who also have little or no financial resources. Since SSI benefits are paid based on financial need your living arrangement may impact the amount of benefits you are eligible for. The Social Security Administration (SSA) considers where you live and who pays for your food… Read more »
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Critical Case Processing Designation Given to Wounded Veterans
Disabled military service members and veterans may be eligible for expedited processing of their claims. This Social Security Administration (SSA) law is outlined in HALLEX I-2-1-40 Critical Cases section. This also provides information for the SSA employees on how to process these types of claims. This special claim processing is reserved for military service members who become… Read more »
What is the Appeals Council?
The Appeals Council was established on March 1, 1940, and designed to ensure the consistency of the hearing process. Currently, the Appeals Council includes about 68 Administrative Appeals Judges, and many hundreds of supporting staff. For Social Security Disability claims, the Appeals Council serves as the final stop in the Social Security Administration’s review process…. Read more »
My Disabilities Can’t Be Seen
This day and age we know it is a dangerous proposition to attempt to label someone as disabled just by looking at them, although in some circumstances a disability is more visible than in other situations. Suppose a claimant for Social Security disability appears at an administrative hearing in front of an Administrative Law Judge,… Read more »
Other Benefits You May Not Be Aware Of
The chief complaint for those who have applied for Social Security disability benefits, aside from the high denial rate, is the long wait times to receive decisions from the Social Security Administration. Claimants who have gone through this process realize that financial distress is not far away when you have to wait months or even… Read more »
Will I have to pay taxes on my benefits?
If you receive Social Security Disability, Retirement, or Survivors benefits you may be liable to pay federal income tax on the benefits you receive. Your tax responsibility, if any, depends on your total income. This typically comes into effect if you have other income; such as wages, self-employment income, interest, dividends, etc. if you are… Read more »
Class Action Suit Highlights Problems With CE Exams
Three plaintiffs who were denied Social Security disability benefits filed a class action lawsuit in federal district court in San Francisco against the Social Security Administration over Social Security’s use of a “disqualified” doctor. The suit suggested that the reports this doctor wrote to Social Security were “deficient” and referenced tests that were never… Read more »
An Example Why It’s Easy To Get Frustrated With Social Security
There is no doubting that Social Security provides some great programs and resources for retirees, the disabled and the poor, but anyone who has gone through a Social Security disability case knows how easy it is to get frustrated with the government agency. This blog is not to deflect any of the frustration, but more… Read more »
New Eating Disorder Listing
In our continuing effort to provide information related to Social Security’s new listings on mental impairments we are going to look at changes made to the listing for eating disorders. And, as just a reminder, Social Security’s set of listings are used in evaluating disability claims judging a condition’s severity and how it limits a… Read more »
New Intellectual Disability Listing
A previous post informed that Social Security recently approved new listings related to mental disorders. These listings are used in evaluating disability claims. For those who do not know, Social Security’s listings are a set of medical impairments, both physical and mental, qualifying someone for disability benefits based on the severity of the condition and… Read more »
