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… 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… 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. … 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… Read more »
Intellectually Disabled Men Successfully Sue the Social Security Administration
According to a recent article in the San Francisco Chronicle, the San Francisco office of the Social Security Administration has been ordered by a federal judge to accommodate the needs of two men with learning disabilities, schizophrenia, and autism. The men were wrongfully denied their benefits because they were unable to understand the complex Social… Read more »
Judge with Favorable Approval Rating Placed on Administrative Leave
Check out this recent Wall Street Journal article about Administrative Law Judge Gerald Krafsur. Judge Krafsur has been a Social Security judge in Kingsport, Tennesse since 1991. According to the article, he was one of the most productive judges among the roughly 1500 Social Security judges nationwide, and had one of the highest approval ratings. … Read more »
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) vs. Disability Insurance Benefits (DIB): Two Programs, One Process
Many social security claimants don’t fully realize that, when they file their initial application to prove they are disabled and receive Social Security, they can file under two programs with two distinct technical requirements. One program, Disability Insurance Benefits (DIB), is based on how much a claimant has paid into the system, through Social Security… Read more »
New Client Intake
Our office has designated intake receptionists available to take prospective client’s calls seven days per week. If interested in becoming a new client of Greeman Toomey PLLC please feel free to give our office a call and ask to do what is called a “new client intake.” During the intake interview you will be asked… Read more »
What Can Employers Do for SSDI Applicants?
Lots of people speculate about the link between the economic downturn and the recent spike in Social Security disability applications. A few insightful academics and journalists are examining this issue in more depth, and are looking into the role employers play in the recent surge of Social Security applications. David Autor and Mark Duggan published… Read more »
