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Congress has prohibited Social Security from paying disability benefits on the basis of alcoholism or drug addiction. However, alcoholics and drug addicts have heart attacks, get cancer or get sick in other ways just like everyone else. Alcoholics and drug addicts who become disabled apart from their alcoholism or drug addiction can become eligible for… Read more »

The Social Security Administration considers disability cases based on a medical and vocational (work related) criteria. The first step in proving you are disabled to earn Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits is to show that you are unable to perform the type of work you used to perform, prior to being disabled. In addition… Read more »

Going through a Social Security disability claim can be a confusing proposition. Not only does the process take a long time (the better part of two years) for most people, but the process is complex and full of technical terms that are unknown to the general public. Below are just a few of the terms… Read more »

After you’ve filed a Social Security Disability (SSD) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) claim with the Social Security Administration (SSA) your local Social Security office will evaluate the non-medical and technical aspects of the claim. If you meet the technical requirements for one of the benefit programs your claim will be transferred to a state… Read more »

When applying for Social Security Disability benefits, the Social Security Administration (SSA) will screen you for all benefit programs you may be eligible for. If your deceased spouse or deceased ex-spouse was insured through the Social Security system you may qualify for what is called Disabled Widow/Widower’s benefits. To be insured for Social Security Disability… Read more »

Depression is a major condition in which some people seek Social Security disability for because the condition prevents them from working. Social Security considers an individual to be disabled because of a major depressive disorder if the symptoms prevent the individual from working and the condition is expected to last at least 12 months. For… Read more »

Because the Social Security disability process can be a long and winding road, on occasion, a disabled worker who has applied for Social Security disability dies before the final outcome of the case. Many people, including the deceased’s family, believe the claim is over, but that is not necessarily the case. It certainly is not… Read more »

If you filed a Request for Review of your hearing decision with the Social Security Administration (SSA) Appeals Council you may receive in the mail a Notice of Remand. This means that the Appeals Council has transferred your claim back to the SSA Office of Disability Adjudication and Review (ODAR) for another hearing. The Appeals… Read more »

A few weeks ago we reported that Social Security was expected to increase retirement, disability and Supplemental Security Insurance (SSI) benefits by 1.7 percent in 2015 and now the government agency has confirmed that. When we reported the increase we did not speculate too much on exact increases because the increase was not confirmed, but… Read more »

Occasionally we will have former government employees and potential clients who inquire with our office about their eligibility for Social Security disability benefits. Most of these people are not aware of how government pensions can impact Social Security benefits and some people are crestfallen when they learn they are not eligible for Social Security Disability… Read more »