As noted in a recent Associated Press article, returning veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars are among the medically and mentally troubled veterans ever seen. The statistics are staggering: nearly 45 percent of Iraq and Afghan veterans have applied for service-related disability benefits through the Veterans Administration. Many wounded warriors are unaware that they may dually qualify for… Read more »
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Keeping Up with Deadlines & Administrative Res Judicata
Being denied for Disability Insurance Benefits or Supplemental Security Income is not an unusual experience, as this blog has discussed before. As mentioned in the earlier post, you can appeal the denial and it is something we do here at Greeman Toomey on a daily basis. The Social Security Administration’s rules give you sixty (60)… Read more »
Step 3: Meeting a Listing
On this blog we’ve covered the 5 step sequential evaluation process , which is the method Social Security uses to determine if a claimant is disabled. We’ve also discussed how a person can be successfully found disabled by equaling a Listing. However, the most direct way to be found disabled is to meet a Listing of Impairments. The… Read more »
Cutting Social Security Benefits will not help the national debt
In the wake of the recent election, Social Security benefits have come under fire. While this has increased the discourse regarding Social Security Disability policy itself, which is a good thing, it has also put a target sign on the backs of people collecting disability. Most of this has been in the name of decreasing… Read more »
What if I have been awarded benefits and Social Security later decides to review my case?
Receiving a letter in the mail stating that Social Security is going to review your medical condition after you’ve been awarded benefits can by scary. Our office receives many phone calls each week from individuals in receipt of such letters asking why their case is being reviewed and how the review process works. Social Security… Read more »
Asperger’s Syndrome and Social Security Disability
The Social Security Administration’s evaluation does not mainly focus on a claimant’s diagnosis. Instead, it focuses on the functional limitations claimant has because of their diagnoses. It is important to demonstrate how the condition affects and limits the claimant. Asperger’s Syndrome is listed under the Social Security Disability Listing of Autism. Asperger’s Syndrome is… Read more »
Surviving Financially Until the ALJ Hearing
Among the questions asked to Greeman Toomey attorneys and staff, the most frequent one is “how am I supposed to survive until my hearing?” Unfortunately the average wait time for a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge is 12-15 months from the date of your appeal. If a claimant receives unfavorable decisions at the Initial… Read more »
How will becoming incarcerated effect my benefits?
Incarceration may impact your eligibility for benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA). This depends on how long you are incarcerated for and what type of benefits you receive. If you are receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments and you are in jail or prison, your payments will be suspended after you have been incarcerated… Read more »
Timeliness and Quality of the Disability Process
Social Security has an $800 billion annual budget, and is one of the government’s largest expenses. Best known for sending monthly payments to retired Americans, SSA also pays disability claims for 18 million people each year, with numbers increasing due to the recession. The Social Security Administration currently faces one of the largest backlogs in… Read more »
Compassionate Allowance List Increased to 200 Conditions
The Social Security Administration (SSA) increased the number of diseases and conditions that are part of SSA’s Compassionate Allowance program to 200, which was commemorated by SSA Commissioner Michael Astrue on December 6 in Washington, D.C. The Compassionate Allowance program is designed to fast-track disability cases for people who are suffering from life-threatening illnesses. Conditions… Read more »
