Blog Posts - Social security disability
Does a mental disability qualify a person for SSD benefits?
When a Pennsylvania resident is unable to work for any reason, be it mental or physical, he or she could be eligible for financial support from Social Security. To understand how to claim these benefits, a person who is unable to maintain gainful employment due to a mental disability could benefit from the...
Read MoreWill working jeopardize my Social Security Disability benefits?
Many people across Pennsylvania work hard for years — often decades — before they ever feel a disability-related need to call upon assistance for necessary living expenses. And that need is almost without exception dire. Moreover, and notwithstanding the argument of some Social Security Disability critics that the program is...
Read MoreUnable to work? You may be eligible for Social Security benefits
When a Pennsylvania resident is injured and unable to work, it is within the rights of that individual to seek financial support. From unpaid medical bills to lost income, a disabled individual and family could be left with a substantial financial burden. Social Security benefits are intended to support those who...
Read MoreSocial Security benefits available to children with cancer
Cancer is a disease that affects thousands of families every year. The sad fact is that many cancer patients are younger than 20 years old, and it is regarded as the primary cause of children’s deaths that are disease-related. Many children nationwide, including in Pennsylvania, suffer various forms of the...
Read MoreSSDI benefits may help those with serious impairments
Individuals with disabilities in Pennsylvania have the challenge of not only overcoming their barriers but also of convincing other people that these barriers in no way define them. Fortunately, Social Security Disability Insurance, or SSDI, helps to alleviate some of the financial stress associated with no longer being able to...
Read MoreWhat to do when Social Security Disability benefits are denied
Some Pennsylvania residents file benefits claims surrounding issues that involve a physical or mental disability. Those who have had Social Security Disability benefits denied might be confused as to where to turn for help in such circumstances. It is possible that seeking consultation with an experienced legal professional in the...
Read MoreUnable to work? Future of Social Security system questioned
Many people in Pennsylvania, and throughout the country, rely on Social Security as they have no other source of income. Those who are unable to work have relied on this system for economic security for 80 years. It is reported that Social Security payments nationwide totaled $71.7 billion in 2014. These...
Read MoreSocial Security disability benefits can provide valuable lifeline
Maintaining gainful employment at a full-time job typically requires certain physical and mental commitments. Should an individual in Pennsylvania develop a medical condition or suffer an injury that precludes him or her from working a full load at a place of employment, it can become difficult or even impossible to...
Read MoreInformation regarding complex SSDI concerns
SSDI, or Social Security Disability Insurance, may be available to those who have been disabled, either due to a medical condition or a serious injury, and who are now unable to work. However, Pennsylvania applicants should note that it can be a complex process to obtain these benefits, and an...
Read MoreFight for Social Security benefits to which you are entitled
After the diagnosis of a serious illness or a serious accident that leaves you injured, you may be unable to return to work and perform your duties as you did before. When these circumstances arise, Pennsylvania residents will probably be concerned about their future financial well-being and how to cover...
Read MoreOptions for cancer patients who are unable to work
Cancer is a serious diagnosis that will likely affect every area of life, including employment. When a patient reaches a point where he or she is unable to work due to the side effects of the disease or treatment, there may be options available for financial assistance. Some patients may be eligible...
Read MoreCould Congress agree to an SSDI tax hike?
For years, it has been known that the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) trust fund would run short of funds, and that if Congress does not fix this shortfall, it will lead to a cut in the monthly payment to SSDI beneficiaries. While there has been much made of some...
Read MoreTesting tests for SSDI determinations
SSDI is an expensive program. And while everyone is concerned about the cost of the program and how to reduce those costs, especially in light of the impending exhaustion of the SSDI trust fund in 2016, there is often an implicit assumption behind the idea that costs can be cut....
Read MoreDoes Congress really want to help disabled workers?
One of the complaints made against the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program is that it does not do enough to help those who are able to return to work. This is somewhat of a disingenuous assertion, because SSDI requires application to have been out of work for 12 months...
Read MoreWill I have to pay taxes on my SSD benefits?
April 15, the deadline for filing your tax returns, will be here in no time. For people in Harrisburg who began receiving Social Security Disability benefits last year, the process of filing a tax return may be a bit more confusing than it was last year. Do you have to...
Read MoreWithout workers’ comp, workers turn to SSDI
Congress has been struggling to deal with the many issues the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program has been facing. The growth of the system and the increase in associated costs have created pressures to do something. The greatest pressure will be to address the immediate funding shortfall, with the...
Read MoreThe CDR backlog is the fault of Congress
The Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program faces many challenges. The Social Security Administration (SSA) must deal with issues ranging from the exhaustion of the SSDI trust fund and the potential for a substantial cut to benefit payments to allegations of fraud within the program. The problems, of course, are...
Read MoreSSDI and the lack of other choices
A story in The Atlantic describes the problems of Grundy, Virginia, in the far southwest corner of the state. There, many of the residents had jobs in the coal industry, but now, with the decline in coal jobs, the area has few jobs and many rely on Social Security Disability...
Read MoreThe war on SSDI
Congress has begin it new session with what can only be seen as an opening salvo in the coming war on Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). The program, which provides benefits to disabled worker in Pennsylvania and across the U.S., is expected to run short of money to pay the...
Read MoreWorking through a Social Security disability claim
The holiday season can be both an enjoyable and stressful time for Pennsylvania residents. There is plenty of joy in gathering with friends and family and giving gifts to loved ones. At the same time, however, there is stress in meeting these obligations, including the pressure that comes with increased...
Read MoreSSDI judges how big a problem?
The Social Security disability insurance (SSDI) program is large. There are millions of recipients of SSDI benefits and the system pays out billions of dollars every year. None of this is surprising. The appeals process for SSDI benefits is cumbersome and slow and as we discussed a few weeks ago,...
Read MoreSSDI appeals carry a massive backlog
Even by the standards of the federal government, the backlog for appeals involving applications for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits is daunting. According to a Washington Post story, it is within a few thousand cases of reaching 1,000,000 cases. They calculated it as being at 990,399 cases. One would...
Read MoreIt is easy to underestimate the complexity of a SSDI claim
Most people never expect to become disabled. They go about their working career, hoping they can remain employed or working for that next promotion. They may have heard about other people on disability of one form or another, but they are busy with their work and their family, and they...
Read MoreThe OIG looks at the SSA field office reductions
In the last year and a half, the SSA has attempted to save money by reducing field offices hours. The expectation was that SSA staff could use the time that the building was closed to complete complex back office tasks, such as continuing disability reviews and redeterminations. A recent audit...
Read Moreand you thought applying for ssdi was complex
Taxpayers expect that when they spend almost $300 million on a project, they should receive something in return. The project of upgrading the Social Security Administration’s computer system used for processing Social Security disability insurance (SSDI) applications has used close to $300 million and six years and is still not...
Read MoreSSA compassionate allowances help when time is of the essence
There are two things about Social Security Disability benefits that applicants should understand. The first is that it can be a long process. The second is that it may not have to be. The statistics are familiar to many who have been in the system already. In the Harrisburg office,...
Read MoreSSA: Doing less with less for more
A report from the Senate Special Committee on Aging has found a disturbing trend in the operation of field offices of the Social Security Administration (SSA). Or, perhaps more accurately, the non-operation of field offices, due to the SSA closing them. At a time when the SSA is facing more...
Read MoreStudy certain asthma drug combo may be particularly effective
There are many individuals out there who have had their lives impacted by asthma. Over 35 million individuals in the United States and Canada suffer from asthma. This condition can cause a person to suffer debilitating asthma attacks and other serious symptoms. In some cases, asthma and its symptoms make...
Read MoreDisability benefits a long time coming
We always warn clients that applying for Social Security disability insurance (SSDI) benefits can be a time consuming and lengthy process. Disability programs, like SSDI and from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), have complex and detailed applications, because they provide long-term, permanent disability benefits for recipient, and are subject...
Read MoreOr is it that other SSDI judges don’t approve enough?
Scandal always makes good news copy. Even if there isn’t one. In fact, a scandal that relies on innuendo and implication is the best kind of all, because it can never be refuted. Much has been made of the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) disability program. It has grown large and...
Read MoreSSI available for those who have not worked
Social Security is best known for its retirement program, which provides payments to Americans who have reached their retirement age, worked the necessary number of quarters and paid FICA tax. The disability program from the Social Security Administration (SSA) is becoming better known, and the Social Security disability insurance (SSDI)...
Read MoreCompassionate Allowances speed award of SSDI benefits
Obtaining benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA) for a disability that leaves a worker unable to continue their employment is not easy. With all of the news regarding fraud by some people in connection with alleged disabilities, there is good reason why the application process for Social Security disability...
Read MoreDoes SSDI need a disability program?
Just as many of our clients face difficult challenges with their health, which prompts their need for assistance programs like Social Security disability insurance (SSDI), so too, does the Social Security Administration (SSA) face challenges in the operation of programs like SSDI and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). The SSDI trust...
Read MoreVeterans’ Social Security disability claims to be expedited
Our country’s veterans have put their lives on the line for the betterment of America and the world. When they come home, they expect and deserve to be treated with dignity. Yet, veterans have recently seen poor treatment as VA backlogs keep them from the benefits they have earned. Pennsylvania...
Read MoreSome talk of expanding Social Security benefits
Pennsylvanians are often hard working people that will do everything they can to support themselves. For years, people may go to work, collect a wage and pay their taxes. Part of these taxes go to support the Social Security system. Social Security is, therefore, supposed to be available to these...
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