Disability recipients generally receive a small (positive increase) cost of living adjustment (COLA) to their benefits, if any, at the beginning of each year. The purpose of COLA is to ensure that benefits are not negatively impacted by inflation. It is based on the percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners… Read more »
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If I Am Approved, How Far Will Social Security Go Back?
The most important part when filing for Social Security starts with the date of application. An applicant can receive benefits back to their date of application and potentially receive retroactive benefits during the year prior to their application date. The second most important factor is the onset date of disability, or when the disability began…. Read more »
Social Security Disability and Debt Collectors
Being disabled and unable to work is difficult enough. Being disabled, unable to work, being in debt and dealing with a particularly harassing debt collector is even worse. People who are disabled and collecting Social Security Disability can rest assured on one important issue: in most cases, Social Security Disability payments are exempt from garnishment… Read more »
Demystified: GRID Rules
What are The GRID Rules? The grid rules, formally called Medical-Vocational Guidelines, are a streamlined disability determination process and typically apply to individuals age 50 and over with physical limitations. In some cases, the grid rules are easy to explain and the facts easy to spot. In other cases, particularly when an individual is under… Read more »
I Received A Notice of Overpayment, What Can I Do?
A Notice of Overpayment may be issued by the Social Security Administration (SSA) to Social Security Disability or Supplemental Security Income recipients when SSA realizes that they have paid you too much. Overpayments normally occur when SSA is not informed of a change in your financial situation. For example, you return to work or continue… Read more »
No Immediate Change to Trust Fund Projections
Despite the fact that Social Security has projected that depletion of the Social Security Trust Funds has not changed, there is still great concern that unless Congress acts, the Trust Funds will deplete enough where only three-fourths of benefits will be payable after depletion. “The projected year for Disability Insurance Trust Fund depletion remains 2016,… Read more »
What can I do to help my disability claim?
Even if you have representation on your claim for Disability Insurance Benefits or Supplemental Security Income benefits, you can take certain actions that can positively impact your claim. At Greeman Toomey, you will be assigned a case manager who will be working with you closely on your claim. It is important that you keep them… Read more »
Notice of Decision – Unfavorable: A Crossroads for the Claimant: Part II
Part II: When to Refile In a prior post, we discussed when it is appropriate to appeal an Unfavorable decision from an Administrative Law Judge. As will be discussed below, there are times when it is best to file a new application instead of an appeal. Remember, a claimant can no longer file a new… Read more »
Notice of Decision – Unfavorable: A Crossroads for the Claimant
Many claimants attempt to apply for Social Security for themselves after they see a family member go through the process, and feel more confident about their own claim. However, this can result in some confusion in various different areas of the process due to recent law changes. An area causing confusion is the claimant’s options… Read more »
Social Security and Unemployment
The days of people collecting Social Security disability and unemployment compensation at the same time may be coming to an end. In July of 2013 the chairman of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Social Security introduced a bill in congress that would keep people from receiving Social Security disability and unemployment payments at the… Read more »
