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Onset Date Important in Disability Cases

When discussing Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) cases the topic of onset dates will eventually come up. The differences in onset dates can be the difference in thousands of dollars in Social Security backpay. The onset date is the date in which the Social Security Administration finds someone disabled. This is also the date in… Read more »

Disability Payments That May Impact Social Security Disability

Disabled workers many times become disabled on the job, when this happens they are potentially eligible for worker’s compensation benefits as well as Social Security disability benefits. Although a disabled worker is potentially eligible for both types of benefits, these are two separate entities that have to be applied for individually. Because both types of… Read more »

Using Medicaid as a Key to Driving Down the Cost of the Affordable Care Act

As many times as Republican federal legislators have tried to repeal, the Affordable Care Act (often times characterized as Obamacare) survives. The intent of the Affordable Care Act is to provide healthcare access to people who otherwise aren’t able to afford it. During the 2012 election, an argument was consistently presented by high profile Republican… Read more »

Will Social Security Show It CARES About Hearing Wait Times?

The wait times for disability hearings before an Administrative Law Judges (ALJs) have bordered on the ridiculous for quite some time. Regularly, it has taken Social Security between 12 and 15 months to schedule hearings nationwide, but rather than these wait times decreasing, they have only increased at most hearing locations. Social Security officials have… Read more »

How To File For Social Security Benefits

 Recently posted on PBS Newshour Boston University economist Larry Kotikoff, a noted Social Security expert, discussed the different ways to apply for Social Security benefits, whether they be retirement, disability or survivor’s benefits. The post was not earth-shattering news as most people realize they have a few different options to apply for benefits, but it… Read more »

Senators Want Social Security Reform

It seems that the topic of Social Security reform has come up in every election cycle for the last 20 years, which is probably because it has. Although Social Security and entitlement reform remains a political hot potato, usually there is nothing done about it and it is left for another Congress or even another… Read more »

Senator Rips Into Social Security At Confirmation Hearing

The Senate Finance Committee held a hearing Feb. 4 on the nomination of Andrew Eanes to become deputy commissioner of Social Security and Sen. Orrin Hatch R-Utah, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, used the hearing as an opportunity to launch a verbal assault on Social Security employees. This was an important hearing, not because… Read more »

Disability Trust Fund Is Looking Better Too

In a previous blog post we highlighted the fact that the Social Security Old Age and Survivor’s Trust Fund looks to be in good shape for years to come and that the fund continues to take in more money than it is paying out. In political and economic terms we call this a surplus. Although… Read more »

Possible New Social Security Boss Has No Social Security Experience

Maybe the anti-establishment winds have captured the attention of President Barack Obama. The Senate Finance Committee was set to hold a hearing, Feb. 4, on President Obama’s nomination of Andrew Lamont Eanes for deputy commissioner of Social Security. This might not sound like a big deal because it’s only for deputy commissioner, but remember that… Read more »

Applying For Retirement and Disability At Same Time

Social Security’s disability and retirement programs are two different funds, but on occasion people can actually apply for both programs at the same time. For this to occur, a Social Security disability applicant must be at least 62 years of age. This is the age in which workers who have paid into Social Security sufficiently… Read more »