The term “working under the table” is a phrase that is commonly known to a lot of people, but some may not be aware of what the phrase refers to. Working under the table means that someone is collecting a fee for work performed, but not reporting that income to the Internal Revenue Service or… Read more »
Blog
Recent Article, “Nine Facts That Prove Disability Insurance Isn’t A Giant Boondoggle” responds to “60 Minutes” segment on Social Security Disability
On October 6, 2013, news show “60 Minutes” ran a segment called “Disability USA” covering the Social Security Disability program. Unfortunately, this segment provided misinformation regarding how the Social Security Administration (SSA) actually processes disability claims. An article released on October 16, 2013, on ThinkProgress.org provides important information on how the program actually works. Here… Read more »
How Railroad Benefits Differ From Social Security Benefits
The majority of people who file a claim for Disability Insurance Benefits (DIB) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) receive a medical denial, meaning the Social Security Administration (SSA) has determined their condition (or conditions) are not severe enough to keep them from working at a substantial level. At the Initial Application level approximately 75% of… Read more »
How do I file an appeal of my disability denial?
The majority of people who file a claim for Disability Insurance Benefits (DIB) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) receive a medical denial, meaning the Social Security Administration (SSA) has determined their condition (or conditions) are not severe enough to keep them from working at a substantial level. At the Initial Application level approximately 75% of… 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 »
Social Security Administration and the Department of Defense are working together to improve access to disability benefits for veterans
On April 30, 2012 the Social Security Administration (SSA) issued a press release titled: “Social Security and Department of Defense Implement New Process to Improve Efficiency for Wounded Warriors Applying for Disability Benefits.” The press release focuses on the SSA’s new project that allows medical records for veterans to be accessed electronically. The electronic processing… Read more »
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) vs. Disability Insurance Benefits (DIB): Two Programs, One Process
Many social security claimants don’t fully realize that, when they file their initial application to prove they are disabled and receive Social Security, they can file under two programs with two distinct technical requirements. One program, Disability Insurance Benefits (DIB), is based on how much a claimant has paid into the system, through Social Security… Read more »
Cost of Living Adjustment for Social Security Benefits Delayed Due to Shutdown
As discussed previously on the Greeman Toomey blog, the annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for Social Security Disability is based on changes in the consumer price index in the past year. For more details on exactly how the COLA is computed, and how changes in computation may change benefits, visit the Social Security Administration’s website. Due… Read more »
New Process to Improve Efficiency for Wounded Veteran Applying for Social Security Disability
Military service members can receive expedited processing of disability claims from Social Security. Social Security benefits are different than those from the Department of Veterans Affairs require and separate application process. The expedited process for Social Security applicant is for military service members who become disabled while on active military service on or after October… Read more »
