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… 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… 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 »
The Function Report: Your Best Friend
When you apply for Social Security, and found you either have paid enough into the system to meet the non-medical requirements for SSDI benefits or have the requisite few assets to met the technical requirements, your case then gets moved on to your state’s respective Disability Determination Services. It is a very rare occasion that… Read more »
Simultaneous Applications for Unemployment Income and Social Security Benefits
It is not uncommon for my clients to be receiving unemployment compensation during the same time period that they are seeking Social Security Disability benefits, so I often get questions about whether it harms an SSDI claim to tell one government agency, “I’m ready, willing, and able to work,” while simultaneously telling another agency, “My… Read more »
What to Expect When Filing for SSA Disability:
My name is Michelle Mathison and I have been a case manager at Greeman Toomey for the past 18 months. During this time I have assisted hundreds of clients with their Social Security Disability claims. I wanted to go through the typical application process and timeline our clients can expect. The first step for SSA… Read more »
Online SSA Statements
Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security, announced an online version of the Social Security Statement is now available at www.socialsecurity.gov. The new online Statement provides eligible workers with secure and convenient access to their Social Security earnings and benefit information. An SSA Statement can provide you with important information detailing how much you will… Read more »
Determining the Onset of Disability
As mentioned in a previous post entitled “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. In many cases, individuals experience symptoms… Read more »
DON’T PANIC YOU HAVE 60 DAYS TO KEEP YOUR CLAIM ALIVE: REQUESTS FOR RECONSIDERATION AND REQUESTS FOR HEARING.
So you have waited anywhere between 2 and 6 months to hear something from the Social Security Administration after filing your initial application. You got all that paperwork that Disability Determination Services sent you about your work and day to day life, and sent it back, filled out (and taking a lot of time and… Read more »
