A federal circuit court of appeals has awarded a widow 30 years worth of past due benefits on her late husband’s claim. The case involved the claim of Dr. Richard Frusher, a Rhode Island resident who applied for benefits based on mental illness in 1975. Social Security denied his claim in 1975 and again in [...]
I regularly get phone calls or emails from potential clients who tell me that they “want to apply for SSI.” In some respects “filing for SSI” has become a shorthand phrase for someone who wants to file for disability, but, in truth, there is a huge difference between SSI and SSDI. SSDI stands for “Social [...]
Filed under SSI issues, Starting the disability process by 
Here is a question I received from a multiple sclerosis patient who is preparing to apply for Social Security disability and is hoping to win her case early. Jonathan, First, I want to thank you for putting valuable information about the SSDI process online. I was diagnosed with MS in 1993. I recently left work [...]
On October 13, 2010, SSA announced new rules effective on November 12, 2010 that will allow SSA personnel to fast track disability claims. Now there are two programs that will allow SSA personnel to quickly approve cases there the medical evidence for disability is overwhelming. The first program is called the “compassionate allowance” program, and [...]
I regularly receive questions about auxiliary Social Security disability benefits. Often these questions are from divorced persons who are struggling with the cost of raising a child, while the disabled, non-custodial parent has not been cooperative with regard to auxiliary benefits. Recently I received the following question: i have a 15 yr old son. my [...]
This past February, Social Security issued a press release announcing that it was adding thirty-eight (38) medical conditions to its “compassionate allowance” program. SSA describes its compassionate allowance program as follows: Compassionate Allowances are a way of quickly identifying diseases and other medical conditions that clearly qualify for Social Security and Supplemental Security Income disability [...]
Filed under Delays, Starting the disability process, Strategies for winning by
Recently, I came across a very relevant blog post written by New York Social Security disability lawyer Lew Insler entitled Waiting to Apply for Social Security Disability Can Cost You Money. Attorney Insler comments “I still don’t understand why some people wait years before even filing their claims. Not only do claimants lose out on [...]
Filed under Starting the disability process by
I have selected some questions that have recently been asked of me that I believe cover some more elusive topics related to Social Security Disability that I believe are worth discussing on this blog. This first topic, while not necessarily as elusive as the others – which I will post weekly as a Q & [...]
Filed under Starting the disability process by
One of the least discussed but perhaps most frustrating aspects of the Social Security disability process has to do with the forms that Social Security requires when you apply or appeal. Over the years I have watched the forms evolve – and the trend is easy to detect: Social Security’s forms never get shorter. Instead [...]
Filed under Starting the disability process, Strategies for winning by
I recently received a question from a woman named Carol who wants to know if she should wait to file for benefits because she is planning on moving to a different state. She writes: I own a condo in central Florida. My parents live in north Florida near the Georgia border. I plan on moving [...]
Filed under Administrative Law Judges, Disability hearings, Starting the disability process by
