Helping People With Disabilities Nationwide
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...
It’s a long process to be approved for disability benefits. From the initial application to the hearing in front of an administrative law judge, most cases take around a year and a half to resolve. Even in a case with a “quick” turnaround, it’s rare to see a hearing...
The process of obtaining Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits may be easier for some applicants, due to a little-known provision in the law known as the "worn-out" worker rule. Under this rule, applicants who would not normally qualify for benefits would gain...
The answer depends on what type of disability you receive – SSI or SSDI. The amount you can have in assets (like a savings or checking account) is limited with SSI. To get SSI, your countable resources must not be worth more than $2,000 for an individual or $3,000 for...
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...
There is a certain amount of risk that comes from working in virtually any work environment. The type of work and the conditions of the workplace determine the level of risk. Obviously, the odds of being involved in an accident will be greater in certain occupations...
Encountering a change in life circumstances that disrupts your ability to maintain gainful employment can be a daunting experience. Whether stemming from physical or mental health conditions, loss of ability to make ends meet could take a dire toll on your quality of...
You applied for and won your disability case, congratulations! Maybe now you can pay off a few bills, fix your car, or get that new washing machine you’ve been needing. BUT, after you’ve spent the lump sum payment(s) you received in backpay (money owed you from the...
The short answer is yes, but it is a little more complicated than that. While you can work part time in most cases while awaiting your hearing or even while collecting benefits, the amount you can work is based on the amount of dollars you earn not the hours worked....
Proving disability, whether before or at a hearing with a federal Administrative Law Judge is different than any other kind of court you may have been to or seen. It is an informal process with different rules. Below is the five-step sequential process Social Security...
Find out if you can collect Work Comp benefits too