There are many types of evidence which can be considered by Social Security when determining whether a claimant is disabled. This includes statements made by the claimant, third party observations (friends and relatives who routinely observe a claimants functioning), statements by your employers, statements and records made by treating doctors, and opinions of consultative examiners…. Read more »
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Classifying the Physical Demands of Occupations: Part I – Strength
This is the first installment in the blog series titled “Classifying the Physical Demands of Occupations.” When evaluating a claim for Social Security disability benefits and/or Supplemental Security Income the Social Security Administration (SSA) must classify the physical demands of your past relevant work and potentially the physical demands of other jobs that exist in… Read more »
What is date last insured?
When applying for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) your date last insured is a crucial aspect of whether you meet the technical aspects of this disability program. Social Security has set specific guidelines for who can qualify for disability programs and these guidelines must be met even before the question of disability is decided. The… Read more »
Chronic Traumatic Encephelopathy: When your job asks the worst of your body, can Social Security still be there?
Both the Huffington Post and the Deseret News have recently discussed the greater occurrence of Chronic Traumatic Encephelopathy (CTE) amongst military veterans due to bomb blasting and football players due to the tackles received on the field. Both cases generally appear as Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), but later degenerates more fully into CTE. Let’s be… Read more »
Work Incentives For People Who Receive Disability Insurance Benefits
The Social Security Administration (SSA) has created special rules to encourage recipients of Disability Insurance Benefits (DIB) to return to work. In order to be eligible to receive DIB benefits you must have a medical impairment(s) that prevents you from maintaining substantial gainful employment (SGA) for at least 12 months. In 2013, the SSA values… Read more »
But I'm too old to learn a new job . . . Right?
Basically, the issue before Social Security is: is there some job which you can do on a full time basis? It doesn’t matter if you are a professional, or a laborer, white collar or blue. If you were a surgeon but now can only sit and take tickets at a toll booth on a regular… Read more »
ALJs Sue to Decrease Workload
Administrative Law Judges have banned together to sue the Social Security Administration because ALJs are expected to decide as many as 700 disability claims a year, which has resulted in rushed decisions and possibly even improper decisions that may have cost taxpayers millions of dollars. “The Social Security Administration seems to care only about quotas,”… Read more »
I expedited my hearing request, why is my hearing still three months out?
If someone is in imminent danger of losing shelter, not being able to obtain food or medicine, imminent danger of death, or actively suicidal or homicidal as a result of their conditions, they may be eligible to have their hearing request expedited. The average wait time is around 12-15 months for a hearing, after the… Read more »
Do I really have to go before a judge at a hearing?
A hearing? A Judge? Sounds scary. At the hearing stage of the disability determination process, a claimant goes before an administrative law judge to explain why they are disabled. This may seem scary or intimidating, but it’s not like going to criminal court. This is actually your best chance to be awarded benefits, because you… Read more »
What Happens if My SSI Payments Stop?
There may be no more unsettling letter to receive than a Social Security notice indicating that your Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments will be stopped. This type of letter can arrive for a variety of reasons, but the main reasons are for earning too much income or Social Security determines that you are no longer… Read more »
