SSD – Disability Hearings

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....

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...

What past jobs you held or may have worked at prior to filing for Social Security Disability is an important issue. The issue of past work is important both prior to your hearing as well as at your hearing. To begin, prior to your hearing, the Social Security...

It’s been nearly two years since the Social Security Administration closed its hearing offices due to the Covid-19 pandemic and moved all hearings to telephone or video. But the SSA has announced that it will finally bring back in-person hearings in a limited capacity...

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...