Disability Hearings

A closed period of disability is period between the date when an individual alleges their disability started and the date when they are physically able to return to work. This period must be at least 12 months long. If you meet the criteria for disability during this...

After closing hearing offices to the public in March 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Social Security finally began offering limited in-person hearings this summer. I’ve since attended two of these hearings at different offices in Illinois and can report that they...

Before you a claim for Social Security disability benefits is taken to the hearing level, claimants receive two denials from the Social Security Administration. Assuming there is sufficient evidence in the file (and in most cases there is), Disability Determination...

Most disability claimants understand that after receiving two denials from the Social Security Administration, they’re entitled to a hearing before an administrative law judge. The good news is that in most cases, only one hearing is required to receive a decision...

In recent years, the Social Security Administration has gotten better about reviewing cases that meet its criteria for dire need. These are typically cases where a claimant has been diagnosed with a terminal illness or is facing homelessness. In these situations,...

Throughout the last two years the Social Security Administration has had to make major shifts in the way hearings are run in order to keep serving the public. First all hearings were cancelled, however they quickly shifted to telephone hearings. A short while later,...

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...

After more than two years, in-person hearings will again be available to all disability claimants in 2022, though some logistical questions remain. Social Security disability offices are tentatively scheduled to reopen to the public on March 30. Beginning May 4,...

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....