If you’re feeling the pinch of inflation right now (and who isn’t?), there could be good news in store later this year when Social Security announces its annual cost of living increase. The Senior Citizens League, a nonprofit advocacy group, is currently estimating...
After closing field officers for more than two years, Social Security has started to hold limited in-person hearings for certain cases, but the process now looks very different from what it did two years ago before the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. While I have yet...
As a disability hearing approaches, many clients will tell me that they have friends or family that they want to speak on their behalf at the hearing. While Social Security’s rules do allow you to call witnesses, this is generally not something that I recommend. It’s...
Workers’ compensation could reduce your SSDI payment. This is true for both types of workers’ compensation settlements: lump-sum and periodic payments. The general rule is that the combination of your SSDI and workers’ compensation payments cannot be more than 80...
The thyroid creates hormones that tell the body’s cells how much energy to use, thus regulating your metabolism. While at first glance a thyroid disorder may not be disabling, disorders of the thyroid can affect changes in other body systems which may warrant a...
An assistive device is any equipment that you use to improve your stability, dexterity, or mobility. An assistive device can be worn (i.e., a prosthesis or orthosis), used in a seated position (i.e., a wheelchair or rollator), or hand-held (i.e., a walker, cane, or...
Any sudden blow to the head can result in crippling and life-altering traumatic brain injuries. Traumatic brain injuries, or TBI’s, are some of the most debilitating injuries anyone can suffer. The symptoms of a TBI can be very extensive and severe. These types of...
For almost two years now, the Social Security Administration has conducted disability hearings almost exclusively by phone (with video hearings also available on request). This has worked surprisingly well, especially since SSA converted to a centralized phone system....
This March will mark two years since the Social Security Administration closed all hearing offices and began holding hearings by telephone and video. Of course, you don’t have to go through with a remote hearing if you don’t want to. Since the beginning of the...
One of the most common questions clients ask me in preparing for a hearing is “What should I say?” Ethically, I can’t tell you what to say. Even if I could, there are no magic words that will convince a judge to grant you disability benefits. There are, however, a...
Whether your doctor discovered your condition during a routine exam or you were experiencing upsetting symptoms that led you to seek medical assistance, a diagnosis of diabetes can bring with it many serious life changes. This may include dietary restrictions, glucose...
The move to phone hearings for Social Security disability cases has presented a unique set of challenges for everyone involved.While Social Security has overall been good about notifying claimants of their hearings, and attorneys have been contacting clients ahead of...
The novel coronavirus Covid-19 pandemic has led to some drastic changes in day-to-day to life. But despite urgings from many leaders and medical professionals for people to stay home as much as possible, the Social Security Administration is still going forward with...
I can never forget my first experience as a fast food worker. No matter what shift I worked or at what station, I always came home smelling of grease. I was occasionally burned by a hot grill or had fingers smashed unloading boxes of frozen food. Even as I continued...
A closed period of disability is a period with a beginning date and a definite ending date established by the adjudicator. A claimant may be entitled to a closed period of disability if the evidence shows he or she was disabled for a continuous period of at least 12...
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