DISABILITY AWARDS: WHICH IMPAIRMENTS SOCIAL SECURITY IS PAYING FOR

Comments

  1. Charles W. ForsytheOctober 20, 2016 at 7:49 AM

    The top chart shows percentages of awards for physical disorders. The chart on the bottom shows awards made for mental disorders.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

WHAT HAPPENS AT HEARING "STEP 5" AND WHAT IS THE DANGER?

There are 5 "steps" used in determining a Social Security disability case.  Here are the 5 steps, then we want to discuss Step 5: Is the claimant now working at SGA level? Does the claimant have a medically determinable severe impairment? Does the claimant meet a specified Listing?  If not, what is his residual functional capacity or RFC?  (What is the most he can do, even with his impairments)? Can the claimant perform any of his past relevant work? Is there any other work that exists in substantial numbers in the local, regional or national economy that the claimant can perform? Most cases that are lost are lost at Step 5, especially at the hearing level.  Social Security will call a "vocational expert," usually a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor, to give testimony concerning "other work" that the claimant may still be able to perform.  If it is Social Security's determination that the claimant can still perform "other work," th...
Read more

ADMITTING DISABILITY IS DIFFICULT

Most of the clients that I represent in Social Security disability matters are reluctant to file a claim.  This is understandable and I think I have gleaned some insight into this reluctance. First, deciding to file a disability claim requires an admission.  The claimant must accept the fact that he or she is not the person they once were.  They must admit to themselves that they are at the end of their working career.  The individual simply cannot do what they once did.  For some, this admission is quite a challenge. Second, there is usually a degree of denial.  Individuals like to believe that they will improve and will be able to work again at some point.  Even once they accept the fact that they cannot work, they refuse to admit their real limitations.  I talk to individuals with herniated discs and bad backs all the time who tell me they can lift 75 pounds.  They may also say that they can stand 4 hours at a time and walk 500 yards....
Read more

"THE DIFFERENCE A DAY MAKES"

As we have discussed so often, Social Security disability decisions are often unfavorable.  When this happens, the claimant has 60 days to file an appeal and ask for a new decision. Failure to file an appeal within the 60 day limit can have serious effects, costing time and money.  Here's an example: Joe is denied for Social Security benefits on October 1.  He fails to file an appeal within 60 days.  Now, he must file a new claim and wait to be denied again. He will lose his original protected filing date.  If it takes 5 months to get the denial, he has probably lost at least 5 months of potential back payments.  In some cases, he could also become ineligible for any benefits because he has past his "date last insured." (Date last insured is the day on which your Social Security disability insurance expires). It is tremendously important to note that failing to appeal a denial of Social Security disability benefits within 60 days usually has costly pe...
Read more