The onset of a disabling injury or illness can turn your life upside down. While you’ll have to deal with the physical and emotional realities of your newfound situation, you’ll also have to figure out how you’re going to make ends meet. This can be difficult to do, especially if your medical condition is so severe that you’re unlikely to secure work in the future. While the Social Security disability system might provide you with relief, you’re only going to recover those benefits if you can demonstrate that you meet federal requirements. Each qualifying condition has its own elements that mu ..read more

Not being able to work full-time due to a degenerative health condition is so frustrating. We apply for Social Security Disability Income (SSDI), but the whole process is so slow, it is only exasperating our ability to support ourselves financially and afford the medical care we need. Sadly, after months of waiting, our initial application for SSDI is denied. We appeal, but that appeal takes months as well, and it is also denied. The next step in the appeals process is a hearing with an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ). But it is taking forever for this appeal to go through. Why is it so hard ju ..read more

Depression is one of the most common illnesses in the United States. The CDC reports that at least 4.7 percent of American adults aged 18 or older experience regular feelings of depression. Symptoms of depression, formally known as major depressive disorder or clinical depression, include: Regularly feeling sad, empty or hopeless Loss of interest in favorite hobbies Disturbed sleep, such as insomnia or sleeping too much Lethargy Changes in appetite leading to weight loss or gain Frequent, recurring thoughts of dying or committing suicide Suicide attempts With treatment options like medication ..read more

Your life has taken a serious, but not unexpected turn. You have known for months that your heart was failing, and the strong possibility existed that you needed a new one. Now, doctors have confirmed this. Leading up to this point, you have been unable to work. Your failing health has led to a myriad of medical appointments and consultations, but mainly zapped the energy required to fulfill your job duties. Now, that you cannot work, you wonder whether your ailment may qualify you for Social Security disability (SSD) benefits. Cardiovascular ailments qualify Thousands of medical conditions ex ..read more

Beginning in January, the estimated 70 million Americans who receive Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits will see their monthly payments increase by 8.7%. The move – announced on Oct. 13 by the Social Security Administration (SSA) – represents the highest cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) in 41 years. For the nearly 7.7 million disabled workers who received Social Security disability (SSD) benefits in September, the government’s announcement means a monthly increase of more than $100. Average payment increases to $1,483 In September, a disabled worker on SSD benefits ..read more

A job injury prevents you from working. As a result, you wonder whether you may qualify for Social Security disability benefits. This is the time to take a serious look at applying for these benefits. Your ability to secure these benefits comes from a combination of things, including the severity of your medical condition or injury, whether that injury meets the Social Security Administration’s strict guidelines for qualification as well as your work history and work credits earned. Thorough SSA undertaking Initially, an SSA agent reviews your application to determine the severity of your inju ..read more

Once you determined that your injury is serious enough to prevent you from working at least a year, it is crucial to take the steps to apply for Social Security disability benefits. Do so as soon as possible because it may take you more than a year to receive those benefits. But to even get to that point, you must apply. And you may apply online, via phone by calling 800-772-1213 or in person at your local Social Security office. Personal, employment and medical information Upon determining that you have a qualifying ailment for these much-needed benefits, promptly begin the application proces ..read more

The erosion of funding for the Social Security Administration (SSA) has led to never-before-seen waiting times for people seeking disability benefits. In August, disability benefits applicants were forced to wait more than six months before the SSA made its initial disability decision. That number – 198 days – marks an all-time high and is nearly three times higher than the waiting time from 10 years ago. Funding problem The problem boils down to funding. In the past decade, the SSA has had to serve far more people with a budget that shrank by 14%. In addition, during that 2010 to 2021 period ..read more

You know that your chances of an initial rejection for Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits are good. In a review of all applications from the 2010 decade, the Social Security Administration (SSA) denied 67% of all claims. Because your disability limits you, you must continue to fight for those benefits. However, you also must remember that the SSA has strict rules related to how it determines who gets these much-needed benefits. Fighting for those benefits Let us take a closer look at the numbers and your odds of receiving SSD benefits. From 2010 to 2019, the SSA awarded disability benef ..read more

The Social Security Administration (SSA) last month added 12 severe medical conditions to its list of ailments that qualify for the agency’s Compassionate Allowances program, which speeds up the process for people seeking Social Security disability (SSD) benefits. Through the Compassionate Allowances program, the SSA more quickly identifies applicant claims that meet the agency’s criteria for a disability. Under the program, the SSA often accepts disability claims for severe medical conditions simply based on confirmation of the diagnosis. Approves 800,000 applicants The Compassionate Allowanc ..read more