social security disability - social security
disability lawyer - supplemental security income - social security disability benefits
This 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.
Here is what one person had to say about my website "Thanks for the site, absolutely a "Bible"
for all who have fear, doubt or lack of knowledge." Christopher. To see what other have said
about this website read the website testimonials on the page called "Best Social Security Disability Website".
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.
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.
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.
Last week I was at the National Organization of Social Security Claimants Representatives conference and this week I
am at the NOVA convention and next week I will be at a meeting with SSA to discuss the agencies program for lawyers
to access the claimants file through the net. So if you have e-mailed me it will take me a little longer than normal
to get back to you but I try to get back to everyone who e-mails me as soon as possible. When I am away from my
office I try to add more pages to my website. I have already added a couple of pages and will probably add a few
more before I am done. As always I wish you all luck with your disability claims. I will post again
soon.
It looks like attorney's access to the e-file over the Internet is still a little ways away. At the NOSSCR conference
I learned that the pilot program for allowing lawyers to view the SSA file remotely is not scheduled until June
2008. It sounds like they still have some issues to deal with. At-least it looks like it will become a reality
soon. I still believe when this program is implemented it will be the best thing that SSA has done to date to speed
up the long processing times at the Social Security Administration. I will be tracking this program closely and if I
hear anything of significance on the issue I will report it hear. I will continue to report on things I learned
at the conference and will be adding more pages to my site this week. I will soon be attending the NOVA conference on
Veterans Disability and will also be reporting on that event as well.
Social Security Commissioner Michael J. Astrue Speaks at NOSSCR
Michael J. Astrue Commissioner of Social Security spoke at he NOSSCR conference this week. He talked about his plan to decrease
processing time of Social Security Disability claims. I will talk about a few of the his plans to reduce the huge backlog
of cases. One thing he talked about was the success and need to expand the quick disability determination. The QDD is a computer
program that screens cases for those that are most likely to win. They have reported that 97% of these cases were decided
in the first 21 days. It presently screens for only a few medical conditions and most are types of cancer. This program was
tested in the New England states. The plan is to expand the program to other states and include more medical conditions in
the screening. He also plans to continue and even expand the use of video hearings to the point were lawyers will be able
to hold hearings from their office. He also stated that they are hard at work to make SSA 100% paperless which would make
the processing of claims at all levels much quicker. He also spoke of the return of the attorney adviser program which allows
senior SSA lawyers to make fully favorable decisions before a case is assigned to an ALJ. He was greatly concerned by the
baby boom generation which is starting to reach retirement age and the impact that would have in conjunction with his
shrinking SSA work force. Commissioner Astrue also spoke of the problem of ALJ's who were not adjudicating enough cases.
After listening to him speak I came to the conclusion that he knows the immense problems he faces and appears to have
the plan and determination to make a positive impact on the Social Security System.
So you have just received a denial on your Social Security Disability claim. Don't panic and don't give up.
The best thing you can do is stop and think about what you have done to try and win. Did you get in all your medical
evidence? Did you submit RFC forms from your treating doctors? Did you take the time to learn all you can about
how SSA determines if you are disabled? Did you understand what you have to prove to win? Did you handle the case
yourself or did you get a lawyer to help you? If you did all the things above perhaps you just got unlucky and the person
deciding your case feels no one is disabled. If you are taking the time to try and get disability benefits than you
probably feel strongly that you can't work. If you feel this way keep fighting. The good news is the
Social Security process has many appeals. At each step of the way don't get discouraged if you lose, figure out
why and do what you can to improve your case. If you get denied and you don't do anything to improve your file it
is hard to imagine a different result. The best thing you can do to help yourself win is be knowledgeable, get the evidence
you need and keep appealing.
I have been hard at work updating the site recently. I have added more state specific pages. I have also included
more statistics on how long it takes at the hearing stage and provided the denial rates at application and reconsideration
for every state. I have also tried to post more often. I will be attending two conferences this month one on Social
Security Disability and one on Veterans disability. I will report back any information I think may be of interest
to you so make sure to check back. The subject I will be most interested in at the conference is how SSA is implementing
changes to speed up the claims process.
I am frequently asked by people if they would be eligible for SSI. The first thing you should know is that SSI eligibility
is based on financial need and is only available to those with little or no income. This is a different program
than SSDI (Social Security Disability) which eligibility is based on whether you worked and paid into the system enough
work quarters. Both programs also require you to be disabled. Figuring out whether you qualify for SSI can
be very complex I recommend you read my page called SSI which can be found in the navigation bar. At the bottom of this
page is an SSI eligibility tool from the SSA website. It is a questionnaire that will help you determine if you are
eligible. I hope you find the tool useful.
We have attempted to provide up to date and accurate information, however the information in this site is not guaranteed.
No attorney client relationship exist. The information in this site is not a substitute for consultation with a qualified
attorney.
for
information on social security disability or if you need a social security disability lawyer to assist you with supplemental security income
or social security disability benefits then we are your primary source
