Starting the disability process

May an Incarcerated Felon Receive Social Security Disability Benefits?
I recently received an email question from a blog reader about the eligibility of a convicted felon for Social Security disability benefits. There is a simple answer here - you may not collect disability benefits during the time you are incarcerated. Social Security ruling 83-28 addresses this situation directly. (…)

Social Security Evidence Must be Submitted With Bar Code Cover Sheet
In my last post, I described Social Security's new "paperless file system" that utilizes scanned documents rather than paper documents. You may be wondering how written records get into the system. (…)

Social Security Hearing Exhibit Files Now on Compact Disk
Jonathan Ginsberg with Social Security CD

Over the past year, Social Security has made meaningful strides in reducing hard copy paperwork and improving the efficiency of the disability adjudication process. One of the most noticeable changes has been the gradual elimination of cardboard and paper files, which are being replaced by compact disks. Social Security personnel now scan medical records and burn the files to compact disc. Employees at the hearing office mail the discs to the attorney for pre-hearing review. From the perspective of an attorney the CD system avoids the hassle of scheduling time to review the files or hiring someone to physically photocopy the files. (…)

Can I File for Disability if I am Working 20 Hours Per Week?
A common question that I see has to do with part time work. As I have written previously, I am not a big fan of part time work, as you will see from my answer to this question that I recieved by email:
I have had fibromyalgia for many years, an autoimmune disease requiring weekly chemo injections, herniated discs in my back. (…)

Long Term Disability Insurance Carriers Faulted for Forcing Claimants to Apply for SSDI
Earlier this week, the New York Times published an enlightening article about the practice of Long Term Disability (LTD) carriers requiring LTD beneficiaries to apply for Social Security disability. This practice is commonplace and the reason for it is simple economics. Most employer paid LTD policies provide that (1) any SSDI benefits received will offset the LTD carrier's policy obligations and (2) the claimant must "repay" the LTD carrier any lump sum received for past due SSDI benefits. (…)

Should I Apply for Disability if I Have Just Started to Miss Work?
I have a question about being able to work. I recently started having headaches every day and have been seeing a doctor and having tests done. (…)

Survivor of Traumatic Brain Injury Considers Applying for Disability 35 Years After Accident
In 1972 at age16 I sustained head injuries from a motorboat propeller resulting in lobectomy to my right frontal and parietal lobes. (…)

ADHD Child SSI claim
Ii just got custody of my nephew from cps and he has been in residential treatment centers in fort worth, we had him tested thru the school system and discovered that he is emotional disturbed and has adhd and boplar disorder2 and also has obsessive defiant disorder we also learned that we had to put him in special education classes because of an issue that he was acting out inappropriately in class(taking his clothes off in front of the other students in the class) The school system suggested that we try to apply for benefits. (…)