As of August 11, 2012, there are now 165 conditions that meet Social Security’s requirements for a Compassionate Allowance claim. For a claimant who has been diagnosed with one of these conditions Social Security should expedite the processing of their claim. These list includes various types of cancer, neurological, and immune system disorders. Click here for the… Read more »
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Work with your doctor on your disability claim
The most important aspect of meeting the rules for either Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits is medical evidence. Medical evidence consists of all reports, notes, tests and opinions from a claimant’s medical provider. At Greeman Toomey Law Office we use a document known as a Medical Source Statement (MSS), which… Read more »
How Substance Abuse can Impact your Disability Claim
Attempting to prove a mental health disability to the Social Security Administration when an applicant has a substance abuse problem can be an uphill climb, especially if the applicant continues to abuse either drugs or alcohol while a claim is pending. This is accentuated when you consider the follow statement found in Social Security’s rules… Read more »
Social Security Disability Recipients and a Continuing Disability Review
Our law office represents a lot of clients who used to receive Social Security disability payments, but for some reason are no longer found disabled by Social Security. This can and does happen and those who are currently receiving Social Security disability should know that Social Security may check-up with you in a few years… Read more »
Social Security Disability and Retirement Benefits
On occasion we will get a call from a person who is already receiving Social Security retirement benefits who wishes to file for Social Security disability benefits. These inquires have come from people who are well past the current retirement age of 66. Unfortunately what some people do not know is that you cannot collect… Read more »
What is Deemed Income by Social Security Administration for Supplemental Security Income Program (SSI)?
According to the Social Security website: Earned Income: are wages, net earnings from self–employment, certain royalties and honoraria, and sheltered workshop payments. Unearned Income: is all income that is not earned, such as Social Security benefits, pensions, state disability payments, unemployment benefits, interest income, and cash from friends and relatives. In–Kind Income: is food or shelter that you… Read more »
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Living Arrangements
Most years the Supplemental Security Income maximum benefit increases. Supplemental Security Income benefits automatically increased in 2013 because there was an increase in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) from the third quarter of 2010 to the third quarter of 2012. As of January 1, 2013, the federal benefit rate is $710 for an individual and… Read more »
Social Security disability claims on the rise
A number of contributing factors have resulted in an increase in the number of Social Security disability claims filed over the last 40 years. In 1970 there were 1.4 million disabled workers who received Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). That number nearly increased six fold by 2011 as 8.3 million people were collecting SSDI benefits… Read more »
Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a needs-based disability program for which there are both “medical” and “non-medical” eligibility requirements you must meet in order to receive benefits. One non-medical requirement for SSI has to do with income. The link below shows how Social Security defines income as well as income that is not counted against… Read more »
Proposed Cuts to Social Security Budget Would Result in More Costs
A recent piece in the Huffington Posts demonstrates the absurdity of a proposal to cut $752 million dollars from the “program integrity” department of the Social Security Administration. The department is responsible for periodic reviews of recipients’ continued income eligibility and medical status. According to the article, Social Security Chief Actuary Stephen Gross estimates that every… Read more »
