Recent Blog Posts
How Recently Must I Have Worked to Qualify for SSDI?
There are several criteria that must be satisfied for an individual to qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance, or SSDI. The two biggest requirements are to have a qualifying disability, and to have worked long enough under Social Security to have earned enough work credits. Clients of our law office often have questions involving… Read More »
Will My SSD or SSI Benefits Increase If My Condition Worsens?
If you’re receiving benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA) due to a disabling medical condition, you may wonder if those benefits will increase if your condition worsens. Unfortunately, they probably won’t. This is because the amount that you receive from the SSA isn’t necessarily tied to your medical status. There are a few… Read More »
Does Union Membership Affect My Eligibility for Social Security?
While union membership does not affect your eligibility for social security, what can be affected by union membership is the amount of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) that you receive from the SSA. SSI is different than SSDI and is often confused with it. Most disabled persons who qualify for SSDI also qualify for at least some SSI… Read More »
How to Qualify for SSDI While Receiving VA Benefits
Veterans’ (VA) benefits provide invaluable support to those who became disabled while protecting the freedoms of our country. To be sure, a report published by the Congressional Budget Office asserts that 3.5 million of the nation’s veterans are receiving these benefits. For many veterans, this compensation is enough to ensure they are able to pay for… Read More »
How Doctors Can Help When Applying for Disability Benefits
Being disabled and unable to work is not only a physical challenge, but it may also be an economic and a psychological burden, too. Certainly, when a person is unable to work due to a physical limitation, they may feel frustrated with their disability and lack of ability to earn an income, and very… Read More »
What is a Closed Period of Disability Benefits?
Many people believe that they are only eligible to obtain disability payments if they are permanently disabled. This is only partially true. If you apply for either Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI), you may be eligible to receive a closed period of disability benefits. What is a Closed Period of Disability Benefits? A… Read More »
What’s being done to help with the Social Security Backlog?
At the end of 2015 there were nearly 1.1 million cases awaiting Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) Hearings before the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) Office of Disability Adjudication and Review (ODAR). These cases had an average processing time of 17 months. That is, on average, from the time a Request for Hearing was filed until… Read More »
Part 4-The Hearing Decision
Following the hearing in your Social Security Disability (SSD) and/or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) case the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) is required to issue a written decision. Assuming all evidence is before the ALJ at the hearing, and there are not medical records outstanding, most ALJs will issue their written decision within 60-90 days… Read More »
Part 3: The Social Security Hearing
You finally get a hearing date and are anxious about what will happen at the hearing and what can be done to give you the best chance of winning. Who will be there? What should I say? These and other questions often come to mind when your hearing is set. The hearing is typically… Read More »
Part 2: Your SSD and/or SSI Claim was denied. What’s next?
You have provided the Disability Determination Service (DDS) everything they have requested. You may have seen a doctor for an evaluation. You know that you can’t work but your initial application was denied. What’s next? If your initial application is denied the next step is to file an appeal called a Request for Hearing…. Read More »
