Everyone who applies for Social Security disability should be prepared for the paperwork that follows. Social Security will send claimants copies of applications and appeals as well as notices of either denying a claim or approval on a claim. Then the award letter arrives for people who are approved, but during the process there are… Read more »
Blog
Social Security Addresses Questions Related To Economic Impact Payment
Last spring Americans received the first Economic Impact Payments (EIP) that were passed by Congress in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and now a second round of payments should be arriving in the bank accounts of most Americans shortly. The second round of payments that Congress passed right before the end of 2020 will not… Read more »
Waiving Your Right To Appear Before A Judge
When a Social Security disability claimant is denied for benefits on their initial application and again after their first appeal the next step is to request a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ). Once a hearing is scheduled the ALJ will consider all the available evidence in a file to determine if the claimant… Read more »
Informing Social Security Of A Beneficiary’s Death
When a loved one dies the last thing on deceased family member’s minds is to inform the Social Security Administration so they do not continue to pay benefits, but it is an important thing to eventually do. Social Security keeps a Death Master File (DMF) to keep track of beneficiaries who have passed away so… Read more »
Will Biden Rescind SSA Orders Implemented By Trump?
Two recent rules that will make it more difficult to qualify for Social Security disability benefits were enacted, but they could be short lived and rescinded by the incoming Biden Administration. The first new rule now allows for Administrative Appeals Judges (AAJs) to conduct and adjudicate Social Security disability cases. Prior to this rule Administrative… Read more »
Report Shows Too Many People Missing Out On Benefits
Mistakes are a natural part of life and certainly the Social Security makes its share of them, but a December 11, 2020 report from Social Security’s inspector general shows that the agency has continued to miss paying people the benefits they deserve. The report showed that Social Security did not pay more than 27,000 eligible… Read more »
Congress Members Ask SSA To Forgive Extra Payments To Beneficiaries
Two members of Congress, U.S. Rep. John B. Larson (D-Connecticut) and U.S. Rep. Danny K. Davis, recently sent a letter to Social Security Commissioner Andrew Saul demanding that Social Security forgive the repayment of extra benefits paid to beneficiaries. Below is a portion of the press release issued by Larson’s office December 17, 2020. Today,… Read more »
The Problem With Telephone Hearings
As most people know Social Security closed down offices in mid March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Recently Social Security has allowed field offices to open on a limited basis to service customers with “urgent” or “dire” needs on a limited basis as long as customers setup appointments ahead of time, but the hearings offices… Read more »
Social Security Begins Tracking Disability Cases That Include COVID-19 Diagnosis
On December 16, 2020 Social Security released an emergency message to staff to start tracking disability cases where a claimant has been diagnosed with COVID-19. This step seems like an attempt by Social Security to keep its eye on potential long-term effects of the coronavirus, which medical experts remain uncertain about. Since mid March when… Read more »
Last Minute GRID Rule Changes Sought
Unless you are a Social Security insider you probably have no idea what the Social Security GRID rules are or why they are an important factor in the Social Security disability process. Even you don’t know what the GRID rules are, the news that the Trump Administration is interested in changing them with just a… Read more »
