Posts under ‘Building a Case’

I was recently asked which pays more in benefits? Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI)?
If you are wondering about the difference between SSDI and SSI, read this post.
As for which pays more, the answer is “it depends.”  
SSI benefits are based on the annual Federal Benefit Rate (FBR) which sets the maximum SSI benefits [...]

We have talked a lot about how far back can you get Social Security benefits. 
I want to make sure there is no confusion: Social Security does NOT limit you to only 12 months of back benefits.
There is a limit in how far BEFORE your protected filing date (PFD) you can get benefits (12 months in [...]

If an individual is disabled and receives Title 2 Social Security Disability Insurance benefits (SSDI aka DIB), their spouse (husband or wife) and minor children can also receive benefits because of the spouse’s / parent’s disability. These are called auxiliary benefits.
I previously coved how Social Security benefits stop if a disabled person is goes to jail / prison.  
So, what [...]

Looking for a Denver lawyer to help you get your Social Security disability benefits? Give William Dawson a call: (303) 455-0400. 
Will has 10 years of experience with Social Security appeals, working within Social Security in the Office of the General Counsel.  He is now putting his experience working inside of Social Security to work for people trying to [...]

Did you know that you can get Social Security benefits based on your spouse’s earnings, even if you are divorced?
Click to read who is entitled to wife’s or husband’s benefits as a divorced spouse?

Former disability examiner, Timothy Moore, writes about his experiences with lower back pain and the Social Security Disability Process:
About one week ago to the day, I injured my lower back. And though I am now fully on the road to recovery, I can’t help but wonder what it would be like to be saddled with [...]

How do unemployment insurance benefits affect a claim for Social Security disability benefits?
Receiving unemployment benefits can be a problem if you have a claim for Social Security disability insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) because you are making two inconsistent statements:

To get unemployment benefits, you are claiming that you are able to work, but [...]

Part of what any good attorney does is listen carefully.
I am always on the look out for inconsistencies. Some problems are obvious, others may seem minor. But, they always run the risk of derailing a case.

The individual with epilepsy, or other seizure disorder, who still has a drivers’ license and regularly drives. 
The PTSD or social anxiety [...]

Gordon Gates writes about how he tries to make each case different and memorable when preparing to go to hearing.
I am always concerned that a particular claim will not get the attention it deserves at the hearing level, due to the tremendous workload at the Social Security hearing offices. Each administrative law judge decides several hundred [...]

I previously wrote about how Social Security may move a case from one hearing office (Office of Disability Adjudication and Review – ODAR) to another to try to ease case congestion and speed up processing.
Usually, there is nothing to worry about when this happens. However, there is something you do need to watch out for. If you [...]

If an individual is disabled and entitled to Social Security Title 2 benefits – also called Disability Insurance benefits, his or her minor children can also receive benefits from Social Security.  
These benefits are called “auxiliary benefits” by Social Security.
It is important to remember that auxiliary benefits are only available if the disabled parent (disabled [...]

I came across this story about the joys and hardships of living with a child with Asperger’s Syndrome.  I just wanted to share it with you.
Life with Asperger’s Syndrome can be very confusing. Many days, Caleb is very high functioning and you would never expect that there is something different about the wiring in his brain. Other days, [...]

Social Security attorney Gordon Gates wrote about a Social Security Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) who only approves 11 percent of cases.
In trying to find some insight in to how this ALJ could only approve 11% of cases when most other ALJs approve somewhere between 45-60% of cases, Gordon found the following post from the ALJ [...]

Social Security launches a new, faster, way to apply for retirement benefits, online.
“Social Security’s new online retirement application can be completed in as little as 15 minutes from the comfort of your home or office,” Commissioner Astrue said.  “Filing online means there’s no need to drive to a local Social Security office or wait for [...]

It is a new year and a new chance to better meet your needs!
Whether this your first visit to my site or you have been reading from day 1…
What would you like to see on this site?
What would you like to read about?
What have we not covered?
What would you like covered in more depth?
What would [...]