Blog posts

July is UV safety month and organizations around the nation are doing their part to inform the public about the dangers of UV light. What many people don’t realize is that no matter how much sunscreen you lather on, if you’re not protecting your eyes from those harmful UV rays you may be putting yourself at risk of a visual impairment. UV rays can harm your eyes just as easily as they can harm your skin and harm to your eyes can lead to drastic changes in your life.

When an individual passes away, their family is supposed to receive a one-time death benefit and then the Social Security payments stop. The SSA is supposed to record the deaths of these individuals to ensure that payments stop and that the proper federal agencies and private companies are notified so that families or other interested parties do not wrongly receive benefits after these individuals pass away.

On June 12th of this year it was announced that the Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee approved a fiscal year 2013 bill that will provide the government with $158.8 billion in current year discretionary funding. Exactly what does this mean? That the government has more than $158 billion dollars to spend to improve programs to help American citizens. The question is what exactly does this mean for the Social Security Administration (SSA)?

Recent reports show that the unemployment rate for individuals who suffer from disabling conditions has dropped to an all-time low in more than three years. In addition, applications for SSDI benefits have continued to stabilize. While this seems like great news for individuals who suffer from disabilities, we must dig deeper in order to understand the true meaning behind these figures.

Representative Allen West has been known to say some outlandish things in the past, but his most recent comment that has left millions reeling with awe has to do with Social Security Disability benefits. According to West, it appears that Social Security Disability is a form of “slavery”. Why is it a form of slavery according to West? Because it creates economic dependence on the government.

Some disabilities are readily apparent to the untrained eye. Others, however, are not so visible. Many people who seem perfectly “normal” can suffer from debilitating disabilities that make it nearly impossible to work. These people often suffer in silence, with very few understanding the nature or extent of their condition. Such is the nature of mental illness. Fortunately, many of the people who suffer from mental illnesses can qualify for Social Security Disability benefits if their condition prevents them from maintaining full-time work activity.

It is no secret that approval and denial rates vary from one administrative law judge to another in the Social Security Administration (SSA). Not too long ago there was commotion involving an administrative law judge who had a recent approval rate of nearly 100 percent. There are, however, situations in which an administrative law judge leans towards the other end of the spectrum with extremely high denial rates, as is the case with one administrative law judge hearing Social Security Disability cases in Richmond, Virginia.

When it comes to proving a Social Security Disability claim, the key in obtaining an approval is providing the SSA with enough evidence to support the severity of your disability and how it interferes with your ability to work. Oftentimes applicants turn to medical records and statements from their treating physicians in order to qualify for disability benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA). There is, however, one resource that is commonly overlooked when it comes to gathering supporting evidence and that resource is an applicant’s former employer.

In June of this year, more than 8.7 million individuals received Social Security Disability benefits with an average benefit payment of $1,111.42. The increase in individuals who are now receiving disability benefits reflects the change in the number of Americans who are actually employed in the United States – a number that has been shrinking steadily over the past 20 years.

While not everyone finds themselves in a situation in which they are entitled to past due Social Security Disability benefits, many disability applicants who must endure the lengthy and complex disability appeal process are indeed entitled to past due benefits once their disability claims have been approved. This is due to the fact that the Social Security Administration (SSA), upon finding the person disabled, must pay that individual for benefits for the time that it took them to appeal the SSA’s denial of their initial disability claim.