Posts under ‘Basics’

If your Social Security disability case has been denied. You need to know how long you have to file your appeal. You only have so much time before your deadline. If you miss that window of opportunity, you may be back to square one.
Check your denial
The best tip I can offer if your case is [...]

Not everyone who applies for Social Security wants to be on disability for the rest of their lives. Many just want temporary help while recovering from an injury and figuring out what they can do next.
There are also some cases that keep getting denied.
Whether by choice or necessity, retraining may be something you eventually consider.
Recently, [...]

This advertising tactic is a bit of a joke in legal circles. Yet it pops up surprisingly frequently. I am sure you have seen lawyers ads touting the “combined experience” of the lawyers in the firm:
18 years of combined legal experience
40 years of combined legal experience
90 [!] years of combined legal experience
Even a quick check [...]

If you are like most people, you probably have never had to think about what you would do if you became disabled. What would you do if you suddenly could not work? How would you pay your rent or mortgage? How would you afford to see your doctor?
Social Security provides help if you ever find [...]

Thirty-eight additional medical conditions have been added to Social Security’s list of conditions which qualify for fast-track Compassionate Allowances in Social Security disabilty claims.
The addition of these new conditions expands the scope of Compassionate Allowances to a broader subgroup of conditions like early-onset Alzheimer’s disease … The expansion we are announcing today means tens of [...]

I have worked with a number of people who have gone back to school while applying for Social Security disability benefits. This may be going to (or back to) college, trade school, or just getting more training. Generally, Social Security wants to see people getting on with their lives and trying to find a way [...]

Social Security usually increases Supplemental Security Income benefits annually. Since 2007, SSI benefits have increased from $623, to $637 (in 2008), to $674 (in 2009).
Sadly, Social Security is not increasing SSI benefits for 2010. SSI benefits are staying at $674 for individuals and $1,011 for couples.
This is the first year in a decade that [...]

The Social Security Red Book page has a nice summary of the the changes in the Social Security system in 2010:
We increased the Substantial Gainful Activity SGA amount for individuals with disabilities, other than blindness, from $980 to $1000 for 2010.
The SGA amount for individuals who are blind is $1,640 for 2010. The amount is [...]

I was recently asked if Social Security child’s benefits continue for a full time student who is 18 or over. At first blush, the regulations seem to suggest it might be possible.
20 CFR 404.350 “Who is entitled to child’s benefits” states
(a) General. You are entitled to child’s benefits on the earnings record of an insured [...]

Children can get Social Security benefits if they have a parent who is receiving Social Security Disability Insurance benefits (SSDI). 20 CFR 404.350 is the regulation dealing with who is entitled to Social Security child’s benefits. Generally, the child has to qualify as the parent’s child (more on this in a moment), be dependent on the [...]

When a disabled individual receives Social Security disability insurance benefits (also known as DIB, SSDI or Title 2 benefits), their spouse or minor children may also be eligible to receive Social Security benefits. These benefits paid to the spouse or minor child are called “auxiliary benefits.”
Wait a minute, I’m on SSI, but my kids didn’t [...]

Since attorneys fees are set (and have to be approved by) Social Security, the bigger question in a Social Security disability case is the amount of the expenses. Since expenses are different in each case, clients often wonder how much they will owe.
What do I have to pay for? Copying? Faxing? Phone calls? Travel expenses? [...]

Even though you live with your pain every day, the Social Security technician or the disability examiner doesn’t know what you are going through, and they won’t know, unless you can tell them. You may feel like yelling,
You don’t know what I go through every day!
And you would be right. No one really knows what it [...]

If your spouse dies leaving you to take care of his or her children under the age of 16, you may be entitled to Mother’s and Father’s benefits (commonly called parent’s benefits) under Social Security.
These are separate from the benefits the children may be entitled to based on the death of their parent.

If you have a long-standing history with your doctor, it is often a good idea to speak with your doctor early on during the Social Security disability application process.
Here are some things you should discuss:

Let your doctor know that you are applying for Social Security disability benefits.
Ask your doctor if he or she feels that [...]