Posts under ‘Basics’

Under Social Security regulations low birth weight babies may qualify for Social Security disability (Supplemental Security Income – SSI) benefits.
It is important to note that Social Security does not specifically consider whether the child is premature or not. Social Security considers the birth weight of the child:
“Low birth weight” is defined as a birth weight [...]

Yes. Under some circumstances, Social Security can immediately start Social Security disability benefits, and continue to pay benefits for up to six months, while the state agency component of Social Security makes a formal decision of whether the child is disabled. These are called “Presumptive Disability” cases.
Basically, Social Security is saying that the child is [...]

People often ask, “Do I have to pay taxes on Social Security benefits?”
Here is the answer directly from Social Security:
Some people who get Social Security will have to pay taxes on their benefits. Less than one-third of our current beneficiaries pay taxes on their benefits.
You will have to pay federal taxes on your benefits if you file a [...]

If you are looking at your Social Security exhibit file and you notice that all the exhibits are numbered with a letter in front, such as “B1A, B2A, B1B, B2B,” etc, this means that you are looking at the “B” file — a file for the second application for Social Security disability benefits.
In other words, [...]

Did you know that Social Security has a special disability benefit rule just for individuals who did not complete high school and who have done hard physical work for most of their lives?
Maine and New Hampshire Social Security Attorney Gordon Gates lets you in on this little know exception:
There is an offbeat little provision in [...]

Remember the earlier post about the 2 year freeze (2010 & 2011) on cost-of-living adjustments for Social Security beneficiaries and how it would result in a net decrease in benefits because while benefits may stay the same, Medicare premiums are likely to go up?
Well, it looks like there may be an extra stimulus payment [...]

Terry Petterson of DisablogND recently posted about changes in the Social Security rules which now let you report earnings to SSA by telephone:
Beneficiaries, deemors and representative payees reporting a change in wages can report their monthly wages to SSA by telephone. These instructions explain what beneficiaries, deemors, and representative payees need to do in order [...]

My previous article discussed how Social Security makes it easier for people over 50 years old to receive disability benefits, even if they can still perform some kind of work.
I am 49 years old! I am about to turn 50. Isn’t that close enough?
It might be. If you are within a few months of an [...]

As part of my series on how to prove you are disabled and eligible for Social Security disability benefits, my latest article, “Winning Social Security Disability Benefits After Age 50” is now on Dallas Texas Social Security disability attorney Bob Kraft’s P.I.S.S.D. (Personal Injury Social Security Disability) website.
Click the link and check it out!

As discussed previously, impairment related work expenses (IRWEs for short — pronounced “Eer-whee’s”) are a way of reducing an individual’s earnings below the substantial gainful activity threshold, and thereby preserve eligibility for disability benefits.
Social Security has a great chart showing examples of which IRWEs are deductible (can be used to reduce income) and which are [...]

If you are between 18 years old and 50 years old, you are in the most difficult age range to get Social Security benefits.
Before you turn 18, Social Security uses the “child” standard for disability evaluations.
After you turn 18, though, Social Security uses the “adult” standard. You have to show that you are unable to [...]

Social Security classifies work into different exertional levels. You might have heard that somebody was denied  because he was still able to do “light work.”
Does  light work in the Social Security case mean the same thing as light work an a workers’ compensation case?
Or, light work that an employer might give you?
Is anything less than the [...]

Maybe you have moved out of state and had to get a new lawyer on your Social Security disability case. Maybe you fired your lawyer. Maybe your lawyer fired you. But now, you have to find a new lawyer!
What is going to happen to the attorney fees?
Do I have to pay both lawyers?
There are two [...]

Now that I know the critical dates and the medical history I review the work history. Social Security reviews cases using the 5 step sequential evaluation process. At step 4, if you are still able to do any of the jobs you performed in the last 15 years before you became disabled, you can be denied [...]

What’s the next thing to review in the Social Security exhibit file after the medical records?Check these critical dates: Alleged Onset Date (AOD) & Date Last Insured (DLI)!
The E section usually contains for two documents that provide this information:

“Disability Report – Field Office”
“Disability Report – Appeal”

These reports also tells you whether Social Security thinks there should be [...]