If you work, Social Security may deduct your Impairment Related Work Expenses (IRWE) from the amount of earnings they use to figure your SSI benefit. This means that Social Security will not reduce your SSI benefit as much because they will not count all of your earnings. IRWE may include out-of-pocket expenses for: (1) medical… Read more »
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Affordable Care Act Ruling Good News for Our Clients
Today the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act colloquially known as “Obamacare.” For the vast majority of our clients, the most important result of today’s ruling is the broad expansion of Medicaid, the joint federal-state insurance program for people with low incomes. The Affordable Care Act expands insurance coverage… Read more »
Medication Non-Compliance
What if I haven’t been taking my medications regularly? Does that affect the likelihood of being awarded benefits? The realistic answer is: maybe. Social Security Ruling 82-59 outlines the circumstances under which a failure to follow prescribed medications would be accepted as “justifiable” and would not preclude a finding of disability. Social Security finds a… Read more »
Worker’s Compensation and Other Disability Benefits
Many people receiving Social Security Disability Insurance Benefits became disabled due to a work-place injury or had private disability insurance. It is not unusual for a claimant to be eligible for many types of disability-based benefits, but these various benefits affect one another and can limit how much a claimant can receive. The SSA utilizes relatively… Read more »
SSD Trust Fund Depleted by 2016
Here’s a recent Washington Post article about the projected depletion of the Social Security disability trust fund by 2016. According to the article, the aging baby boomer population and the country’s economic troubles have placed increased strain on the program over last several years – applications have risen more than 30 percent since 2007. If… Read more »
GAF Scores Part II
We discussed Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scores and how they may be helpful in your Social Security disability claim. But why are GAF scores in particular helpful? GAF scores serve two purposes. First, they summarize your mental health status. Mental health conditions can vary wildly from person to person; two people with identical diagnoses may have… Read more »
How Railroad Benefits Differ From Social Security Benefits
When someone first applies for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) a question on the application will ask if the applicant has ever worked for the railroad. Considering most of the questions on the application, this may seem like a strange one, but it is an important question. The Railroad Retirement Act provides benefits to retired… 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 »
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 »
