For a while there it appeared that the number of Social Security disability applications would continue to grow year-after-year with no end in sight. Well, the end appears to not only be in sight, but upon us. In a Wall Street Journal blog last month, it was reported that Social Security disability applications are falling. The number… Read more »
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Expect More Social Security Office to Close in the Future
The Social Security Administration currently has 1,248 offices around the country. This seems like a lot of offices, but the recent trend is to eliminate offices more than increasing the number of offices, even as the population continues to grow. Ten years ago there were 1,330 Social Security offices across the country, so the trend… Read more »
Social Security Terms and What They Mean
The Social Security Administration has many different terms and acronyms that are used to describe aspects of the retirement or disability process, but to a layman these terms and acronyms can be confusing and difficult to understand. Below are some terms and acronyms that are better explained. PIM: Primary Insurance Amount is the monthly amount paid… Read more »
The Listings Of Impairments For Social Security Disability
When the topic of Social Security disability is brought up there are a lot of different words that can be used to describe it, but possibly the most common word is “confused.” The Social Security disability process is not easily understood, not only for novices, but also for veterans who work in the field every… Read more »
The Social Security Administration Launches New Campaign to Draw Awareness to the Disability Insurance Program
Recently, the Social Security Administration (SSA) started a national communications campaign to raise awareness of their Disability Insurance Benefit (DIB) program. This campaign is called the “Faces And Facts Of Disability.” As the title suggests, the campaign is focused on providing facts about the program as well as sharing personal stories from beneficiaries. The campaign… Read more »
The Medicare Waiting Period
Few people who go through the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) process realize that if they do in fact win a disability case and are found disabled they are not, many times, immediately eligible for Medicare. Medicare was originally intended for Social Security retirement recipients, age 65 and older, but was later expanded to include… Read more »
Expediting The Social Security Disability Process
We have talked many times about how long the Social Security disability process can take. Most people who continue to pursue disability benefits even after they are initially denied will end up waiting the better part of two years before a concrete decision is made of whether they are disabled and are entitled to benefits…. Read more »
How Marriage Impacts Social Security Disability
During the Social Security disability process, on occasion, the question will come-up of how a new marriage may affect a Social Security disability claim if it is approved. The answer all depends on the circumstances of the marriage and the type of disability program an applicant is entitled to. For someone who has been approved,… Read more »
Case Transferred to National Hearing Center
Social Security disability claimants who receive notice that their request for a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) has been transferred to the National Hearing Center (NHC) sometimes get easily confused about what this means. Request for hearings are transferred to the NHC to help speed up the hearings process when a local hearing’s… Read more »
Residual Functional Capacity (RFC)
Residual Functional Capacity (RFC) forms can be among the most supportive documents a treating physician can complete. This form shows the treating physician’s opinion of an individual highlighting the various limitations due to medical conditions. Many people often assume that if a physician is supportive that in itself means that you are disabled. However, this… Read more »
