People unable to work due to a physical or mental disability know all too well about the double whammy of income loss and high medical expenses. In fact, job losses and medical expenses are the leading causes of bankruptcy in the U.S. It’s no wonder that people facing this situation turn to online fundraising through sites like GoFundMe, YouCaring or Fundly. Unfortunately if you’re not careful, raising money this way can have a negative impact on your Social Security Disability benefits, depending on the program you qualify for. Can Fundraising Reduce My Disability Benefits? If you’re receivin ..read more

Late last month the Social Security Administration (SSA) published a new rule which will benefit thousands of SSI disability beneficiaries. With the finalization of this rule, the SSA will no longer consider food expenses in their in-kind support and maintenance (ISM) calculations. This change removes a critical barrier that resulted in some individuals with disabilities being denied benefits and reduced the benefit amounts for others. Social Security has two programs which offer assistance to Americans with disabilities: Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security In ..read more

A spotlight on one of the professional team members who works for you at Nash Disability Law. Fans of classic 1950s TV will remember this catchphrase: “Have Gun – Will Travel.” In the show of the same name, this was embossed on the business cards of Paladin, a gun fighter for hire who roamed the West, fighting for the downtrodden. This may be an unexpected motto for a disability attorney 70 or so years later, but Nash Disability Law senior attorney Spelios Bacoyanis will tell you that it perfectly explains what he believes in. “Paladin (the name derives from medieval holy knights who crusaded ..read more

One of the services our team of disability lawyers provides for free to any person who cannot work due to health impairments—not just those who are already working with us to get disability benefits—is an in-depth evaluation of their Social Security Disability case. Inevitably at these evaluation meetings people will ask: “What is the percentage chance that I will win my disability case?” or something along those lines. “While I fully understand this thought process of wanting to hear some percentage,” observes Nash disability attorney Dan Rosen, “there is no way to peg a percentage. There are ..read more

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other forms of dementia can have a terrible impact on those who are stricken, and tragically their families as well. A long process of decline occurs. Slowly but surely, the disease causes them to lose their memory. Ultimately they lose the ability to care for themselves: the capacity get dressed, prepare a meal without help, even to know who they are. One of the common misconceptions surrounding Alzheimer’s disease is that it only strikes older people. That’s not the case. About 5% to 6% of people with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia develop symptom ..read more

Many people can apply for disability benefits under both the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) programs at the same time. The Social Security Administration (SSA) uses the term “concurrent” for this situation. However, with some exceptions, a person will receive the higher of the SSDI or SSI amount, not both. To qualify for either SSDI or SSI, you must prove to Social Security that your medical conditions prevent you from getting and holding onto a job. The SSA relies on accurate and complete medical records from doctors, clinics and h ..read more

Winning Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits has always been a long and difficult grind. For Americans who have disabilities, wait times for appeal hearings have been frustratingly long for some time, and they have gotten worse, reaching record highs. The time it takes for the Social Security Administration (SSA) to process even initial applications has soared to unacceptable levels. According to the SSA’s own data, in the late 2010s it took the agency on average about 120 days to render a decision for an initial application. In December of last year, the average wait time had ..read more

Three years have passed since the COVID-19 pandemic battered the world. In that time, there have been more than 100 million documented cases of the virus in the U.S., with the number of undocumented cases likely much higher. Because hospitalizations have declined nationwide and deaths have held steady at lower levels over the past year, many believe the worst is behind us now. But not for everyone. Though most people who have been hit with COVID fully recover from the virus, others are not so lucky. They continue to experience debilitating symptoms and additional health complications which per ..read more

Attitudes toward the use of marijuana have changed radically since 1996, when California was the first state to legalize medical cannabis. Today medical marijuana is legal in 38 states, 3 territories, and the District of Columbia. The recreational use of marijuana has been decriminalized in 25 states, including Illinois. Cannabis is now one of the most widely used drugs in the U.S.—nearly 20 million Americans reported using marijuana at least once in the last month, according to one study. Some people who have disabilities say marijuana eases their chronic pain or lessens their anxiety. Of cou ..read more

A spotlight on one of the professional team members who works for you at Nash Disability Law. A critical part of the Social Security Disability benefits process is ensuring that our clients who are awarded benefits get paid properly and promptly. That’s a job that Marissa Granata, a Benefits Department case manager at Nash Disability Law, excels at. “I help explain to clients what happens after they’ve been approved for their disability benefits,” she says. “I help them get their benefit payments set up. I also communicate with Social Security to be sure our clients are paid correctly.” Managi ..read more