You might hear the term “Date Last Insured” or its acronym “DLI” being used when attorneys and the Social Security Administration (SSA) discuss an individual’s eligibility for disability benefits. This is the last date a disability is covered by Social Security Disability Insurance Benefits (DIB). The disability must be present (but not necessarily diagnosed) on… Read more »
Blog
“42 Social Security 'Secrets' All Baby Boomers and Millions of Current Recipients Need to Know – Revised!”
Check out this article featured in Forbes magazine: 42 Social Security ‘Secrets’ All Baby Boomers and Millions of Current Recipients Need to Know – Revised! Prominent economist Laurence Kotlikoff has narrowed down the 2,728 SSA governing laws into a quick go-to guide to answer questions regarding SSA retirement and disability questions. According to the article… Read more »
The Appeals Council Process
If you receive an unfavorable hearing decision from an Administrative Law Judge, there is one more level of appeal within the Social Security Administration’s adjudication process. This final step is called Appeals Council, or AC, review. If you do not want to file an appeal with the AC, your other option is to re-file your… Read more »
How Worker’s Compensation Impacts Social Security Disability
Many disabled workers are injured on the job and apply for worker’s compensation benefits. During this same time, or shortly after, if it is determined a disabled worker will be unable to work for at least 12 consecutive months, the disabled worker may decided to apply for Social Security disability benefits – Social Security Disability… Read more »
I received a Notice of Remand, what does that mean?
If you filed an appeal with the Social Security Administration (SSA) Appeals Council you may receive in the mail a Notice of Remand. This means that the Appeals Council has transferred your claim back to the SSA Hearing office for another hearing. The Appeals Council typically chooses to remand a claim if the Council finds… Read more »
Failure to Follow Prescribed Treatment
Medical evidence is a cornerstone in proving a Social Security disability claim. However, some individuals are sometimes not able to receive the necessary treatment due to various factors including lack of medical insurance or other economic barriers. Social Security Ruling 82-59 addresses the issue of failure to follow prescribed treatment. The ruling states in pertinent… Read more »
Classifying the Physical Demands of Occupations: Part II – Climbing and Balancing
This is the second 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 »
Budget Hype?
Ms. Kathy Ruffing of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities recently published a report finding that Social Security’s current costs and caseloads “are generally in step with past projections.” This report indicates that demographic changes in the U.S. workforce explain most of the growth in disability insurance (“DI”) beneficiaries in the past decade. Most… Read more »
Understanding the Sequential Evaluation Process
The Sequential Evaluation Process When evaluating a claim for Social Security Disability or Supplemental Security Income, the Social Security Administration (SSA) applies a step-by-step process involving five questions, or steps. (20 CFR §§ 404.1520a; 416.920). This is commonly referred to as the “sequential evaluation process: At step one of the sequential evaluation process the SSA inquires whether… Read more »
Demystifying: Credibility
Many disability claimants who receive a written decision from an Administrative Law Judge are surprised to find a paragraph in the decision discussing whether the claimant is “credible.” This part of the decision often seems like a personal attack. This article explains what this “credibility analysis” is, and what judges have to consider in each… Read more »
