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Social Security While in Prison or Jail

Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments generally are not payable for months that an individual is confined to a jail, prison or certain other public institutions for commission of a crime and a person is not automatically eligible for Social Security or SSI payments when being released from prison or jail. If you are… Read more »

New Process for Wounded Veterans Applying for Social Security Disability

Military service members can receive expedited processing of disability claims from Social Security. Social Security benefits are different than those from the Department of Veterans Affairs. The expedited process is for military service members who become disabled while on active military service on or after October 1, 2001, regardless of where the disability occurs. The Social… Read more »

I received a medical denial on my disability claim, how do I file an appeal?

It is common for applicants who file a claim for Disability Insurance Benefits (DIB) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) to receive a medical denial, meaning the Social Security Administration (SSA) has determined their impairment(s) are not severe enough to keep them from working at a substantial level. At the Initial Application level approximately 75% of… Read more »

Can Social Security Disability Benefits Be Garnished?

Under certain circumstances, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits may be garnished depending on what type of debt is owed, but Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits may not be garnished under any circumstance. Because SSI is a needs-based program, it is determined that the recipient needs that income to survive and SSDI benefits are based… Read more »

Divorced Spouses And Social Security Benefits

It is a little known fact that ex-spouses have the ability to collect Social Security disability benefits based on their divorced partner’s Social Security earnings even if that ex-spouse has remarried, if the right circumstances exist. The same goes for Social Security retirement benefits. This may irk some people who would have their ex-spouse collecting… Read more »

Social Security Benefit Increase Expected in 2015

We are now in the fourth quarter of 2014, which is a good time to start looking at what 2015 might bring in the world of Social Security disability. Although no official word has come out, it is expected that Social Security retirement and disability benefits will increase in 2015. Social Security is expected to… Read more »

Video Teleconferencing At Your Hearing

Social Security recently changed its rules about the use of video teleconferencing (VTC) for disability hearings before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ). Previously, Social Security has used VTC for a portion of its hearings. The VTC process relates to using ALJs in other jurisdictions to administer hearings with claimants and representatives via video rather than… Read more »

Will New Social Security Support Center Change Things?

Late last month the Social Security Administration announced the opening of a new National Support Center (NSC), which the federal agency christened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Social Security lauded this announcement as a new step towards state-of-the art technology that will allow Social Security to work more efficiently, something the agency has lacked for decades…. Read more »

When Disabilities Don’t Matter To Social Security

It may seem ridiculous when administrators of a disability program don’t require evidence of disabilities or even consider medical evidence of a claimant applying for disability, but that is exactly what Social Security does on occasion for its Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program. Many people, who navigate through the Social Security disability process for… Read more »

Income Requirements for SSI

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a financial needs based program. For this reason the Social Security Administration has set rules in place to determine who meets the non-medical requirements of SSI, whether or not medical disability is proven. There are no work requirement rules for SSI as there is with Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI),… Read more »