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social security disability - social security
disability lawyer - supplemental security income - social security disability benefitsThis is the ultimate Social
Security Disability web site. The purpose of this site is to provide free SSDI and
SSI information. I provide information all in one place that you will have a hard time finding on the Internet
anywhere. This site should help those who are contemplating applying for Social Security Disability or Supplemental
Security Income and those individuals who have already applied for Social Security Disability benefits, no matter
what stage they are at in the process. The information in this site should be used as a helpful guide to the Social Security Disability process. It will also provide information on how to win your disability claim. If you have any questions that are
not answered in this site or want a free consultation feel free to e-mail me. I will try to answer any questions you might have about Social Security Disability (SSDI) or Supplemental Security
Income (SSI). This site is the best place to go for free Social Security Disability information. If you read
this site you will know how to apply for disability benefits and how to win SSDI (SSD) and SSI. In addition
to this site, available to you are other sites which can further help you in your claim for benefits. Websites are
a dime a dozen and we caution you to be careful when choosing which ones to utilize. There are many web sites out there that
are very good. We caution you to be careful of websites where the identity of the firm or author is hidden.
They are solely to generate clients. They offer only enough information to confuse you or convince you that you need
a lawyer. Other sites are constructed by individuals who have never handled a Social Security Disability claim
nor ever intend to. They are marketing people who are looking to sell leads to lawyers. In fact, there are some
websites out there using titles similar to mine don't be fooled. Here you will find Social Security Disability
information, answers and advice on how to apply, am i disabled, how to appeal and how to win SSD, SSDI, and SSI. I do not hide who I am on this site and I will try to answer any questions you may have but I will
not pressure anyone to retain me as their lawyer. My sincere hope is that the information in this disability guide is
helpful to anyone seeking disability benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA). I will try to update
the information in this site as often as possible including an almost daily blog. In addition to the Blog on this site
please visit my other Social Security disability Blog for more SSDI and SSI tips. So be sure to bookmark this site for the latest news. This is a free disability
guide and will help with Social Security Disability and Supplemental Security claims. Please note that it is my
intention to provide accurate and up to date information on this site and I make great effort to do this. However, the
information on this site is not guaranteed and no lawyer client relationship exist. This site is not a substitute for
consultation with a lawyer. How to Use this site. If you are new to
the process of Social Security Disability I recommend you start be reading the disability process. This page will give you an overview of how your claim is processed and what procedural steps you have to take.
To understand how SSA determines if you are disabled you should read the page " am I disabled?". After you read this page you should follow the different links to get a better understanding of what it
takes to prove your disability. I also strongly suggest you read " how to win" and " key to SSDI and SSI". There is a lot more information on this site but this should give you a good starting point to help your claim. I provide this free information on Social Security Disability and Supplemental Security
Income so that everyone who is disabled has the tools they need to win disability. If you need tips on how to win
your SSDI or SSI claim continue to read this site and bookmark it so you can come back and use it as a reference while you
take on the Social Security Disability process.
FREE SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY CASE EVALUATION
Questions or comments? E-mail me.
If you need a lawyer for your Social Security Disability or SSI claim or just want to ask a few questions you can also
call me at 1-877-527-5529 and ask for Karl. Or you can click on the following link and fill out the form if you prefer
a local lawyer note that on form.
Find SSDI Lawyer
EXAMPLES OF WHY YOU SHOULD CONTINUE READING THIS SITE:
My first suggestion for you and when you are applying for your Social Security Disability or Supplemental Security Income Claim is to be knowledgeable about how the Social Security Administration will evaluate your claim.
Whether you are represented by an attorney or not take it upon yourself to learn as
much about the Social Security disability process as you can. You have already taken the initiative by researching on-line and reading this site.
I also recommend that you visit the Social Security Administration's web site. It is a bit confusing but can be
a great resource for your claim for benefits.
By having an understanding of how Social Security decides your claim for benefits you will increase your chances of winning your benefits for Social Security Disability (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
My second suggestion is to get help.
If you choose to get your benefits without an attorney, this guide will help you learn the process used to determine if one
is disabled. This is not a complete site about Social Security and should not be considered legal advice.
You should also use the SSA's website in conjunction with this site. This will increase your chances of giving your
case the best chance to win your benefits. Remember the law in these cases is confusing and convoluted.
Statistics show that those claimants that are represented by an attorney are more likely
to win their claim for benefits than those who are not. In my opinion, the reason for this is because the lawyers
that handle Social Security Disability claims have a better understanding of how the Social Security Administration decides your case and they develop your case accordingly.
Remember this web site
is my attempt to give you the tools you need to win your SSDI or SSI benefits with or without a lawyer. If you decide you need a lawyer for your disability case or just want/need
to ask some questions, feel free to contact me. I also offer a free case evaluation for Social Security Disability and Supplemental
Security Income.
This site is full of free information and practical advice
on Social Security Disability. If you study this site you can learn the following: How to apply for Social Security Disability. What is the process by which SSA determines if you are disabled. How to win SSDI or SSI. What are the GRID rules? What you can expect and how to handle a Social Security Disability hearing. What are the medical listing of impairments? Do I need a lawyer for my disability claim. The definitions of common terms used. Helpful tips to help win your disability claim. What are Residual Functional Capacity (RFC) forms and why are they so important? What does your past work have to do with disability? What is
child's SSI? How to win Child's SSI. What is the difference between Social Security Disability and
SSI? What are the most important things to know and do when trying to get benefits. Are you disabled? What is an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) and what is his or her role in the process? What is the Appeals
Council? What can you do to help your Social Security Disability or SSI claim. How to get Social Security Disability
and SSI.
I wish you good luck with your claim and further encourage you
to finish reading this site.
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Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Veterans Disability ConferenceNext week I will be attending a conference on Veterans Disability. I will post on my blog anything I learn that may
be of any value to those pursuing VA benefits. The main reason I am attending the conference is to learn the ins and
outs of the VA process. Many Lawyers who handle Social Security Disability claims like myself will start representing
Veterans due to the new law that was passed that allows Veterans to hire attorneys for these claims. The new law goes
into affect in June so the conference could not come at a better time. I will also be posting some additional things
that I learned last week at the conference for Social Security Disability.
8:40 pm est
Monday, April 23, 2007
What I learned at NOSSCR conference.At the conference for Social Security Disability lawyers run by NOSSCR I learned a few things that may be of interest to you.
Robert Emrick spoke, he is the Associate Commissioner, OMVE/SSA. He spoke of many changes coming to the medical
listings. Some of the medical listings are out dated and SSA appears to be making an effort to change many of the
listings. They are reaching out to medical groups and other organizations to try and come up with new listings that
are both up to date and more workable. I was impressed by his speech and hope SSA is able to accomplish these goals
in a way that makes the listings more understandable for SSDI and SSI claimants. Also speaking at the seminar was
Lisa deSoto, Deputy Commissioner, ODAR, SSA. She also had a very interesting speech. It appears that several
changes that were being talked about in regards to the new process that disability lawyers like myself were very much
against have lost some steam. SSA was talking about raising the ages in the GRID Rules which would have had a negative
impact on those applying for SSDI and SSI benefits and would have resulted in more denials. This appears to be dead
now and the ages in the GRID Rules will stay the same. There was also a concern of disability lawyers that SSA was going
to get rid of the Appeals Council. This would have left claimants with no option to appeal a decision of a ALJ
accept to sue in federal court. I am happy to say that it appears as if SSA will keep an Appeals Council in some way.
8:20 pm est
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
I will be attending conference of SSDI lawyers this week.I will be going to the NOSSCR Conference this week and will report anything new or interesting I may learn. NOSSCR is
an organization of Social Security Disability lawyers and representatives. Make sure to book mark the site and check
back for any new information. I will be posting something on how the new process is going in the Boston area.
I will also be attending numerous other classes on a variety of different topics and will share it with you.
7:38 pm est
Sunday, April 15, 2007
What percentage of SSDI and SSI cases are denied?One of the most frequently asked questions I get is what percentage of Social Security Disability and SSI cases are denied.
At application 65% of cases are denied. At reconsideration 87% are denied. At the hearing level before the ALJ
24% are denied and another 14% are dismissed. At the Appeals Council level 71% are denied, 25% get remands (new hearing
before ALJ), and 2% are approved. In U.S. District Court 41% are denied, 44% get a remand and 5% are approved.
Note that some states do not have the reconsideration stage. So a question you may have is why is the allowance rate of
35% at application so much lower than the allowance rate of 62% at hearing? There is no way to know for sure but my
opinion is that there are a couple of reasons. Many people don't get a lawyer until they are the hearing
stage. Another reason is the files are much better developed by the time you get to a hearing. Lastly, sometimes
the file can not tell the whole story and a claimants testimony in person can make a significant impact. If you
want to give your case the best chance of winning at application you should make sure all your medical information is in the
file and consider getting a lawyer at application. Keep in mind the wait time for a hearing is anywhere from 1
to 2 years so the idea is to win as early as you can.
7:02 pm est
Friday, April 13, 2007
Tips for a Social Security Disability HearingThe first thing you should do is have an understanding of your case and what it is you have to prove to win. In other
words know the theory of your case. A lawyer can be helpful because if they have handled many SSDI and SSI cases
they will know what you have to prove for your particular case. Every case is different and many factors can play into
exactly what you will have to show at the ALJ hearing. You should also have some idea of the types of questions
that will be asked. See my page on the Social Security Disability hearing to get a general idea. Knowing the types
of questions that will be asked will also help relieve some of the anxiety of having a hearing. You should also
look at your notice of hearing and check if a medical or vocational expert will be there. If there will be an expert at
the hearing, and you don't have a lawyer you may want to consider one. This will allow for a proper cross examination
of these experts. I also would not dress up as if you are going on an interview for a job. Dress respectfully
of the court but if you come in to a hearing in a suit the ALJ may get the impression that you could work.
I have more tips and information on my page on the ALJ hearing.
6:36 pm est
Monday, April 9, 2007
Is it harder to get disability in some areas more than others?Your chances of getting Social Security Disability can be greatly influenced by where your hearing is located. I will
not name the ODAR offices that I find to be more difficult to win at since I still have to handle hearings in these places,
but I can tell you that were you live can make a big difference. I have found that word gets out on the street pretty
fast if the ALJs in your area are overly favorable or unfavorable to claims. There is one particular ODAR I am
aware of that has an earned reputation of not finding for deserving SSDI and SSI claims. Worse than that I have experienced
abusive ALJs at this particular office. I believe from my experience that Social Security is aware of these
offices and tries to offset what would be glaring statistical abnormalities by assigning ALJs from other areas to hold hearings
usually by video at these locations. I have no documented evidence of this it is just an experienced guess on my part.
So what can you do if you hear through the grapevine that the ODAR in your area is particularly difficult? You might
want to consider finding a good lawyer and don't give up. If you have a difficult ALJ you may be denied.
But if you know you can't work and feel you have a good case you should keep appealing even to the District Court if you
have to. When a case is sent back it will have directions from the appeal council to the ALJ which may include ordered
medical or vocational expert testimony. This can all help with a difficult ALJ. If you are denied again by the
same ALJ and you are able to get another remand on appeal you will be assigned a different Judge. So if you are assigned
a Judge you heard was difficult make sure your evidence is strong, get a lawyer and try and be patient.
9:07 pm est
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
Can you work while getting disability?I am often asked if one can work while collecting Social Security Disability benefits. SSA has a program for this called
the Ticket to Work. Before I get into the program I have a few warnings. If you are able to do some work and decide
to do so make sure to follow the program. The rules on being able to work while getting disability benefits are confusing
and not with out risk if you don't know the rules and follow them. The ticket to work program can help you free
of charge with vocational rehabilitation and job referrals. These services are provided by private organizations or
government agencies. For more information call MAXIMUS, Inc. at 1-866-968-7842.
7:43 pm est
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cadio vascular disease, mood disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or scoliosis and are considering applying for Social Security Disability, you should explore this site.
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