If your initial application for Social Security Disability benefits is denied, the Social Security Administration (SSA) provides a claimant sixty days to file an appeal. In filing the appeal, a claimant can either request a reconsideration of their claim or to request a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge...
New Report Bashes Social Security Disability Determinations
The venerable news program 60 Minutes has been investigating the Social Security Disability Insurance program (SSD) and aired its report on October 6, 2013. Reporter Steve Kroft reported on the increase in individuals who receive SSD benefits and the looming 2016 estimate of when the SSD trust fund will run...
Sickle Cell Disease Can Lead to the Need for Social Security Disability
Crescent shaped blood cells are the telltale markers of Sickle Cell Disease. “Normal red blood cells move easily through your blood vessels, taking oxygen to every part of your body. But sickled cells can get stuck and block blood vessels, which stops the oxygen from getting through.” What are the...
Parkinson’s Disease Has a New High-Profile Face
Michael J. Fox, Muhammad Ali, and Janet Reno all have Parkinson’s disease. The latest celebrity to announce she has Parkinson’s disease is Linda Ronstadt. Parkinson’s does not only affect celebrities, but many others in our society. What is Parkinson’s? Parkinson’s is a neurological condition that affects an individual’s motor controls....
Meniere’s Disease and Social Security Disability
Hearing loss, ringing in the ear, and suffering episodes of vertigo, can lead to a diagnosis of Meniere’s disease. What is the cause of Meniere’s? The specific cause of Meniere’s is not fully understood. It appears that an imbalance of the fluid in the inner ear may cause Meniere’s. But...
Social Security Disability – a Basic Q & A
Q: Which agencies administer DI and SSI? A: Both programs are administered by the Social Security Administration (SSA), which assesses the severity of a disability, determines eligibility, and issues monthly checks. Initial determinations are made by state agencies under contract with SSA. The cost of administering DI is financed from...
Are You Disabled? How A Judge Decides Your Social Security Disability Claim
When your claim comes up for hearing, the Social Security Judge will go through a 5 step “sequential evaluation process” to decide whether you meet Social Security’s definition of disability. Step 1 Whether you are working and, if so, Whether the work the claimant is doing constitutes substantial gainful activity (SGA)....
Social Security Disability Appeals
You have the right to appeal any decision Social Security makes as to your entitlement to Social Security benefits or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments. The first step in the appeals process is called a reconsideration determination. You will receive a new decision by someone who had no part in...
Supreme Court Doma Decision and Social Security Benefits
The United States Supreme Court, in United States v. Windsor, struck down Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which defined marriage for federal purposes as the union between a man and a woman, finding that it violates equal protection and federalism principles. There are currently an estimated...
Social Security Administrative Law Judges Pressured to Approve SSD Appeals
Recent reports have the Social Security Disability (SSD) Trust Fund going broke by 2016. A major factor behind this depletion of funds is the increase in SSD recipients. In 2003, 7.6 million disabled workers, spouses and children received SSD benefits. That figure is now close to 11 million. The House...