The majority of Social Security disability claimants, who continue to appeal unfavorable decisions at lower levels, will eventually have to request a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ). The ALJ is in charge of deciding whether or not a claimant is disabled and should be awarded either Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental… Read more »
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I Know Someone Who Was Approved Right Away
Something that is heard by attorneys and Social Security representatives continuously while assisting clients on Social Security disability claims is that clients have heard, or know someone, who was approved for Social Security disability right away, “so why was I denied?” It is true that a minority of either Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or… Read more »
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Benefits for Premature Children
Social Security provides Supplemental Security Income (SSI) disability benefits to certain infants born with low birth weight whether or not they are premature. A child weighing less than 1200 grams (about 2 pounds, 10 ounces) at birth can qualify for SSI based on low birth weight provided the infant’s family meets the SSI’s income requirements. A… Read more »
How Your Attorney Prepares for Your Hearing
Your Social Security hearing date is fast approaching and you are experiencing anxiety about what might happen on one of the most important days of your life. You wonder “am I prepared,” but more importantly, you wonder “is my attorney prepared?” During a Social Security disability case, no matter whether it is a Social Security… Read more »
Social Security Disability and Child Support
The federal Office of Child Support Enforcement estimated that more than $100 billion in ordered child support went unpaid in 2009. About $53 million of this unpaid amount was owed to the government due to a lack of public assistance reimbursements. These numbers have influenced governments to more arduously go after child support payments from… Read more »
New Social Security measures at the hearing office: Do they actually help claimants?
When a claimant, who is treating for his/her conditions is about to go to a hearing, often times their file is filled with hundreds of pages of sensitive medical information about them that will aid the judge in the evaluation of the claim. The Office of Disability Adjudication and Review wants to make sure a… Read more »
Disability Benefits for Wounded Warriors
Disabled military service members and veterans may be eligible for expedited processing of their claims. This special claim processing is reserved for military service members who become disabled while on active military service on or after October 1, 2001. This designation applies whether the disability occurred while in the United States or on foreign soil…. Read more »
Functional Capacity Evaluation
At some point during the processing and evaluation of a Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) claim the term Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE) is likely to come up. So, what is an FCE and is it helpful in proving a disability claim? An FCE is a test and evaluation designed to… Read more »
Outgoing SSA Commissioner Admits Deck is Stacked Against Disability Applicants
Former Social Security Commissioner Michael Astrue admitted that the criteria used to decide whether a disability applicant is disabled are so “stringent” that applicants face an up-hill battle from the beginning of the disability process. Astrue made his comments in a recent article just before his last day as commissioner, Feb. 13, 2013. Astrue served… Read more »
Is There a Limit to Back Pay?
During a Social Security disability case most claimants are curious about the date in which they are entitled to benefits, considering that the process, for most applicants, can take the better part of two years because of a lengthy appeals process. The good news is Social Security will pay benefits retroactively to an extent, but… Read more »
