When considering whether or not to hire a professional to assist you when you file for Social Security disability benefits, you may wonder what sort of person has the necessary experience, what they can do for you, what they will charge to assist you, and whether or not their help is worth what they charge.
One of the decisions you must make when you apply for Social Security disability benefits is whether or not to be represented by a qualified Social Security disability attorney or other professional, or whether to file for disability benefits on your own. Although the official Social Security Administration (SSA) publication 05-10029 attempts to explain the process of applying for disability benefits in a straightforward manner, it is immediately apparent from reading this publication that the amount of information needed to present a case can seem overwhelming.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) has been the focus of quite a hue and cry from Congress, policymakers, and newsmakers from across the country over the past year. Those looking for reasons to cut funding to this bastion of the country’s national social services programs call Social Security (including OASDI, SSI, and SSDI) everything from an outdated notion of an entitlement state to a Ponzi scheme. Those looking for ways to preserve America’s 75-year old social services safety net call it the "bedrock of American retirement security".
With all the noise about Social Security disability reform being generated in Washington and elsewhere, especially among those running for re-election, reports of Social Security disability fraud in the millions of dollars, and with a substantial increase in funds set aside to fund case reviews and investigations, Social Security disability recipients may feel anxious about the status of their cases and the security of their disability payments.
The Social Security disability benefits received by most disabled individuals are relatively modest. However, when those benefits are multiplied by millions of recipients each month, they constitute a major expenditure by the federal government.
More and more voices are calling for an overhaul of the Social Security system, and many are targeting Social Security disability benefits for scrutiny. Citing the need to “cut waste” in SSDI, representatives like Republican Mike Rogers of Alabama stress that the staggering size of the nation’s deficit demands stricter measures in distributing the nation’s tax dollars.
In order to prepare as efficiently as possible for making a Social Security disability claim, it is good practice to be fully aware of the trends currently emerging in Social Security cases and rulings as they will likely have an effect on your own disability case hearing/application.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) changes Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits from year to year, some years more than others. It is important to make sure you understand and keep updated on these changes if you are receiving SSI benefits. These changes are seldom very large, but a complete understanding of these changes will help to ensure that you take all of the necessary steps to qualify for disability benefits.
For ‘quarter of’ coverage, the earnings needed to earn one Social Security Credit changed from $1,730 to $1810 in 2025.
Building on the positive momentum generated by SSA commissioner Michael Astrue's September announcement of the first decrease in pending Social Security Disability hearings in over a decade, the Federal government now seems to be making a big push towards a new method of increasing efficiency in healthcare: the implementation of electronic record keeping.
