The Social Security Administration (SSA) administers the Retirement, Survivors and Disability Insurance (RSDI) program. A portion of an individual's earnings or payroll taxes fund gets withdrawn from their paycheck. The SSA divides these funds among applicants depending on whether they meet eligibility requirements.
What is Retirement, Survivors & Disability Insurance?
Obtaining Disability Benefits with a History of Drug Addiction or Alcoholism
One of the biggest hurdles to overcome in many disability cases is the issue of alcohol or drug abuse.
Hundreds of thousands of vets struggle with vision issues
Disabilities are not always as obvious to outsiders as amputations or spinal cord injuries leading to paralysis. Many disabilities may not stand out in the same way, but they can still have a drastic impact on a person's life. It's important not to overlook that impact in any way.
Should You Postpone Your Disability Phone Hearing?
Social Security is now in the third month of doing all hearings by phone due to the Covid-19 pandemic. At the soonest, it looks like in-person hearings will resume at some point in the fall, but there's no guarantee that hearing offices will even reopen until some time in 2021.
Why do disability claims often get denied?
Applying for and receiving Social Security Disability (SSD) is far from a slam dunk. Countless individuals who submit their applications for benefits end up receiving denial letters in the mail. You can save yourself a lot of time and effort by familiarizing yourself with the many reasons why reviewers may deny your claim.
A brain injury changes you: Get the SSD benefits you deserve
It does not matter how good of shape you were in. If you sustained a serious head injury, you may no longer be able to work. Some traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) can require around-the-clock support, and some TBI sufferers may have difficulty walking or talking.
PTSD and Disability Benefits
According to the Mayo Clinic, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that is triggered by a terrifying event, either experienced or witnessed. Some symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares, severe anxiety, and uncontrollable thoughts about the event. Some are able through time and self-care to recover from such events. However, individuals whose symptoms get worse, last for months or years, and interfere with day-to-day functioning may have PTSD.
When to file a Social Security Disability claim
Once you realize that you're no longer capable of working, the next question you have to answer may very well be, "Is it time to file for Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits?"
What if my Doctor Says I am Disabled?
Many individuals with physical or mental disabilities have physicians or practitioners who are supportive of their effort to obtain disability benefits. This can certainly be beneficial to an individual's case. However, the usefulness of these sentiments depends largely on how the supportive medical provider actually articulates their opinion.
The New Normal: Phone Hearings - How to Prepare
Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, the Social Security Administration is currently holding all Social Security Disability hearings by telephone only. The Social Security Administration has not yet announced an end date in which hearings will return to either in person hearings or video hearings. Therefore, if you choose to proceed with your hearing by telephone, you should be prepared and note the following:
The Third Step in a Social Security Disability Case
The definition of disability is the inability to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medical determinable physical or mental impairment which can be expected to result in death or which has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months (The Social Security Act). Judges deciding disability cases must follow a strict 5 step sequential evaluation to determine whether an individual is disabled or not. In this blog post we will be focusing on the third step of the evaluation. The third step asks whether your condition is found in the listing of disabling impairments. Social Security has listings of impairments for each of the major body systems (See link below). Currently there are 14 major impairment categories contained in the listings. For example, 4.00 listings include the cardiovascular system and 12.00 listings include mental disorders. Within each category there is a breakdown of several specific disabling conditions. For example, within the 4.00 category there is a breakdown of several specific disorders including 4.04 ischemic heart disease and 4.12 peripheral arterial disease. Each listing then has several requirements which an individual must meet in order to be considered disabled under step three. These requirements are extremely detailed and specific. Finally, it important thing to note is that while the first and second steps of disability must be met to move on to steps 3-5, if an individual is found to meet all the requirements of a listing at step 3 then the disability analysis stops there. However, if the individual is found to not meet all the necessary requirements of a listing then the judge will move on to steps 4 and 5 to determine whether that individual is disabled. Overall, it is essential to work with an experienced attorney to determine whether your condition may meet the step three listings.
