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Archive for the ‘Supplemental Security Income’ Category

Billions in SSDI payments questioned in subcommittee, GAO report–including an employee of the SSA itself

Tuesday, August 31st, 2010

[Editor's note: This is the third of three installments examining the need for legal counsel and improved legislation for those needing help with disabilities–and against those who game the system. Part One is here; Part Two is here.]

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a disturbing report in late June that contends the Social Security Administration (SSA) may have made fraudulent or improper disability payments to thousands of individuals, including more than a thousand federal employees.

As reported Aug.4 in The Washington Post, the SSA disputes the audit:

“Almost 1,500 federal workers might have received improper or fraudulent Social Security payments in the past several years, according to a government audit disputed by the Social Security Administration.

Payroll records vs. benefits data link nearly 70,000 others

“Government Accountability Office investigators matched civilian federal payroll records with benefit data from the Social Security Disability Insurance program and the Supplemental Security Income program to yield their estimates.”

Beyond the 1,500 federal employees, the GAO audit (see the summary here) finds questions about “62,000 individuals [who] received or had renewed commercial driver’s licenses after SSA determined that the individuals met the federal requirements for full disability benefits” and another “7,900 individuals with registered transportation businesses who were receiving SSA disability benefits.”

A tiny fraction?

WP columnist Joe Davidson, writing a day later, at first tries to downplay the significance of the numbers, saying that 1,500 of the millions of federal employees represents a tiny fraction. That’s not “many out of a current federal workforce of 2 million” Davidson writes. “And even that comparison overstates the problem.

“Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.), chairman of the investigations panel under the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, put the numbers in a more precise context.

” ‘GAO matched a database of Social Security disability recipients against federal payroll databases covering about 4.5 million persons who worked for government agencies for varying periods of time from October 2006 to December 2008,’ he said as he opened the hearing.

“Fifteen hundred out of 4.5 million ‘represents a very small percentage,’ he accurately noted, ‘only three-hundredths of 1 percent.’ ”

“If only all rates of fraud or improper activities were so low.”

Larger questions for endangered SSDI program

We catch his drift, but can’t co-sign for such a forgiving attitude. In the first place, it overlooks the nearly 70,000 other folks who may have received improper payments. More important, such forbearance downplays the threat to a disability program that is running out of funding.

Davidson does recover a sense of accountability, though, when he says, “Yet any improper activity is too much, particularly by federal workers who are trusted to safeguard tax dollars, not abuse them. And every penny of the $1.7 million that the GAO found in improper monthly payments to federal workers is too much.”

Let’s see– $1.7 million x 26 months … on my calculator, that comes to $44.2 million in possible overpayments. And, remember, that’s only for the 1,500 federal folks, for the period Oct. ‘06 to Dec. ‘08.

It gets worse. According to the WP article, nearly $11 billion is stake for a longer period:

“The SSA made $10.7 billion in overpayments to disability beneficiaries from 2004 to 2008, according to Senate aides. [Senator Tom Coburn (R-Okla.)] is especially concerned and familiar with fraudulent payments from his time as a practicing medical doctor and as part of his service on President Obama’s bipartisan debt commission, aides said. The Oklahoma Republican also is a fierce critic of the salaries and benefits earned by federal workers and other spending for government operations.”

Coburn and Senators Thomas R. Carper (D-Del.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.) requested the GAO audit, which was featured at the Aug. 4 subcommittee hearing,  “Social Security Disability Fraud: Case Studies in Federal Employees and Commercial Drivers Licenses.”

Another $3 billion

Other incidents of overpayment have been found, too. For example, this is not the GAO’s first probe of the SSDI or SSI systems. According to the printed version of Coburn’s opening statement for the hearing, a previous GAO investigation found “nearly $3 billion in overpayments from 1999 to 2003 in the DI program alone.”

Regardless the fractional amount overall, this is simply too much money to be wasted, period–and especially for a program in such dire straits, as we wrote here: “The Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) fund, however, is in trouble. And fixing it requires way more than Band-Aid legislation in the next few years. In short, the fund is financed mostly by a 1.8 per cent payroll tax and at current rates will be in serious trouble in only five years. And by 2018, a short three years later, it will be broke, according to a recent study by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), which makes a brief available here.”

Here’s an excerpt from Coburn’s statement:

“We cannot afford to allow healthy people to waste our money. Nor can the Disability Insurance Trust Fund afford it. The Congressional Budget Office recently concluded that the Trust Fund will be exhausted by 2018.

“GAO’s investigation into fraud in the Social Security disability programs is not its first. In 1997, they designated the SSI program as “high risk” due to years of mismanagement and overpayments. GAO also previously identified nearly $3 billion in overpayments from 1999 to 2003 in the DI program alone. In today’s report, GAO found $10.7 billion more in overpayments from fiscal years 2004 to 2008.

“In response to these numbers, SSA’s disappointing reply was that ‘overpayments are unavoidable.’ This is unacceptable. It is also in direct contradiction with the President’s mandate that overpayments in government programs be eliminated.”

SSA Commissioner objects

SSA Commissioner Michael J. Astrue vigorously disagreed with the GAO report, quoted in the WP piece, calling the report ” ‘fatally and hopelessly flawed,’ and said auditors improperly compared payroll data with SSA data.”

In his printed statement for the hearing, Astrue said:

“Of the 20 cases that GAO reviewed, GAO investigated only one problematic CDL case and only one problematic case involving a commercial vehicle company. GAO did not conclusively prove fraud in any of these 20 cases and has referred only 5 of these cases to our Office of the Inspector General (OIG).

“We do not intend to minimize the importance of the issues raised in this investigation, and we take our stewardship responsibilities very seriously. Nevertheless, the results apply to only these 20 non-representative cases, and after reviewing these 20 cases, we found that we had already detected overpayments for half and believe that we would have identified the remaining cases through subsequent enforcement activities if earnings were reported on the W-2 or as self-employment income to the IRS.”

Gregory Kutz, managing director of GAO’s Forensic Audits and Special Investigation division acknowledges the preliminary nature of the findings. From the main report itself:

“Thousands of federal employees, commercial drivers, and owners of commercial vehicle companies received Social Security disability benefits during fiscal year 2008, though we could not determine the extent to which beneficiaries improperly or fraudulently received payments. Because further investigation is required to determine whether these individuals are entitled to receive payments, our analysis provides only an indicator of potentially improper or fraudulent activity.”

Curiously, one of the disputed cases was for an employee who works for the SSA, and SSA officials had no idea until informed by the GAO. According to the WP story, “And in an ironic twist, a Social Security Administration worker from Arizona received $11,000 in overpayments after she was hired by the agency in 2007/ The SSA did not have information about her disability in her files, the GAO said.”

Stay tuned–these questions aren’t going away anytime soon.

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Disability planning and programs: Part 2

Tuesday, June 29th, 2010

[Continued from here, discussing links and references from this CDA Web page.]

Step 3 is where we get into “the meat” of disability finance:

  • Employer sick pay
  • State benefits
  • Disability insurance benefits
  • Workers comp
  • SSDI/SSI

Employer sick pay, or sick leave, may be generous in one industry, lean in another. At a small company, nothing may be available other than wishes for good luck. Some large and even mid-size companies offer long-term disability policies. Where ever you work, you should learn the specifics of the policy because it may be your first line of defense, even if it runs out long before a health problem is resolved.

According to the Insurance Information Institute, “In some states, such as Hawaii, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island, state law requires employers to provide disability benefits for up to 26 weeks.” (Don’t confuse this with workers compensation.)

Over at CostHelper.com, we see that “Disability insurance provides income to help pay your living expenses if you are unable to work for a significant length of time because of injury or illness. Generally benefit payments are 60 percent of your total salary.”

The CDA page explains that “[d]isability insurance can be an invaluable lifeline for disabled workers and their families:

  • If your employer offers disability insurance make sure you fully understand what benefits are available to you and how your company’s disability insurance program works.
  • If disability insurance is NOT provided by your employer, it can be purchased individually at affordable rates. Contact your insurance agent for more information.
  • Self-employed individuals can also benefit greatly by having disability insurance. Consult your financial advisor or insurance agent for assistance.”

The CostHelper.com page says to “[e]xpect to pay between 1 percent and 3 percent of your annual salary for a good disability plan, according to DisabilityQuotes.com. That works out to $600-$1,800 for someone earning $60,000 a year.”

Earlier, we cautioned not to confuse state disability benefits (if available) with workers comp benefits. In the usual sense, workers comp addresses workers who are injured on the job. However, if work-related, an illness and subsequent disability may be covered by workers comp, too. As the CDA page says, “After a short waiting period, workers’ compensation generally pays a portion of your former wages or salary. Benefits vary significantly by state and are restricted to a specific maximum and minimum amount.” Here’s a link to programs in each state.

As mentioned in our preceding post, SSDI is a form of  federal “insurance” that workers qualify for by having paid enough funds into Social Security (from paychecks) by working long enough at jobs with employers who make the payments (including self-employed). Here’s the link to the main disability information page of the SSA, including topics such as basic program information, who is eligible, how to apply and so forth.

In your planning, count on at least a six-month wait before receiving SSDI payments.

SSI is not funded by paycheck contributions but by general tax revenue; it provides cash to meet basic needs for food, clothing, and shelter. The program is designed to help aged, blind, and disabled people, who have little or no income and few resources.

Here is a link to the SSA’s page outlining eligibility requirements for SSI.

Here’s the bracing news: If you don’t have access to any of the preceding resources, you’re pretty much left to your own devices and social-family network. For the “average” long-term disability, you’ll need to cobble together some method to make it for 2 1/2 years.

The first fallback position is personal savings. Then you’re looking at such drastic measures as using credit cards, dipping into a mortgage or retirement funds. Here’s how the CDA page lays it out:

  • “Personal savings
    A small percentage of Americans are lucky enough to have savings, investments or other financial resources that can supplement or replace their income during a prolonged disability. The rest of us, unfortunately, are not so lucky. Any disability, especially one lasting more than 90 days, would quickly drain our savings. After all, Americans’ savings rate is at an all-time low. A full 1/3 of Americans have no retirement savings and no pension, according to the Social Security Administration. Talk about stress!
  • “Last Resort” income sources
    If all else fails, you can begin paying expenses with credit cards, get a second mortgage, take out a home equity line of credit, withdraw money from your retirement plan, and ask family and friends for assistance.”

As you can see, maintaining one’s health is the best option. Of course, no one can do that indefinitely, so financial planning is the next priority. If you’re still healthy, look for ways to promote an even healthier lifestyle. Then, begin your financial planning process.

If you or a loved one needs disability help now, you can use the links provided to contact SSA officials or advocates and disability attorneys.

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Applying for disability benefits from the Social Security Administration can be a daunting and frustrating challenge. For more on the basics of disability, SSI, and SSDI, please click here.You will also have the opportunity to click on information about attorneys who can help you and a link for a free case review.

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Disability benefits explained from square one: Part 1

Thursday, June 24th, 2010

OK, we’re going to cover a lot of ground in the next few installments, so let’s start with a quick review of the basics.

The acronyms SSDI and SSI refer to the most well known programs that help people who develop long term disabilities. Both are administered by the Social Security Administration (SSA), and each is notorious for being cumbersome, slow, and difficult for the average person to deal with–which is why many who need disability help turn to professional advocates and attorneys who specialize in the field.

SSDI = Social Security Disability Insurance, which pays benefits to workers (and some family members) who qualify; the basic qualification to receive these insurance payments is that you have:

  1. worked long enough to have paid
  2. enough Social Security taxes through payday deductions

to fund your “insurance account.” In other words, if your work history comprises jobs that did not pay–or pay enough–into Social Security, in most cases you won’t qualify for SSDI.

In that case, however, you may qualify for SSI, which stands for Supplemental Security Income–this program is not based on payments made from jobs but does award benefits based on financial need.

Together these two programs account for the bulk of what most of us consider the disability program for Americans. However, as mentioned, jumping through the hoops can be maddening, and the built-in delays can result in a payments arriving so slowly that the claimant has already died.

For a quick example of how slow the SSA acts, have a gander at its disability front page. As of post time, you can look to the top, upper right of the page and see a link to a press release with the following headline:

Social Security Administration Attacks Disability Backlog

Which sounds like a good thing, right? Well, it is–always good to catch up on a backlog.

But notice the dateline  ===> Tuesday, October 9 , 2007

Shoot, we have more recent, more accurate info right here, toward the end of a May 2010 post in which we discuss delay issues among the various states.

That being said, SSI/SSDI remain the most publicly known disability programs. But they’re not the only alternative.

The Council for Disability Awareness (CDA) is a nonprofit organization that says its purpose is to inform and educate “the American public about the widespread and growing frequency of disability, and the financial impact it can have.”

However, judging from its “members page,” one might infer the group has an interest in selling disability insurance. That being said, however, the Web site does indeed offer a wealth of information.

For one thing, here’s a page about “reducing your chances” of becoming disabled. Pretty standard stuff: wellness tips such as “quit smoking, get regular checkups,” and so forth. Of course, most people don’t think about disability until a family member or they themselves become disabled.

But the statistics suggest that all adults should be aware of at least the basics of disability. For instance, it seems to be a common misperception that “events” cause most disabilities: a car wreck, an accident at work or home, etc..

But according to CDA, which claims to base its figures on the latest available census data and on info from the Centers for Disease Control, the most common causes of disability are injuries or accidents but rather:

  • “Illnesses like cancer, heart attack or diabetes cause the majority of long-term disabilities. Back pain, injuries, and arthritis are also significant causes.
  • “Most are not work-related, and therefore not covered by workers’ compensation.
  • “Lifestyle choices and personal behavior that lead to obesity are becoming major contributing factors.”

Oddly enough, this CDA page is quite contradictory, both in overall tone and in these specific statements (emphasis added):

  • “It strikes like a bolt from the blue: unwanted, unexpected, unwelcome. Unfortunately, many of us are totally unprepared for the financial hit that disability can bring.
  • “Most Americans live paycheck to paycheck. There’s little or no money left for unexpected emergencies like an injury or illness – the primary causes of disability.

Perhaps the intention was to say something like, “unless you injured in an accident or taken with sudden illness, disability can creep up on you, until there’s a sudden realization that your condition leaves you in financial peril.”

At any rate, the CDA’s suggestions are sound as far as how to think about finances in the event of a disability, including:

  • Your sources of income, monthly expenses and lifestyle
  • The impact a long-term disability could have on them
  • Preparing a plan of action to address the crisis

Step 1 is, basically, preparing a budget. (The page has a link to a “calculator” routine.)

Step 2 is to, as may be expected, isolate and trim unnecessary expenses.

Step 3 is where we get into “the meat” of disability finance:

  • Employer sick pay
  • State benefits
  • Disability insurance benefits
  • Workers comp
  • SSDI/SSI

That is where we will continue the discussion in Part 2.

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Applying for disability benefits from the Social Security Administration can be a daunting and frustrating challenge. For more on the basics of disability, SSI, and SSDI, please click here.You will also have the opportunity to click on information about attorneys who can help you and a link for a free case review.

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Periventricular Leukomalacia and Receiving Social Security Disability

Monday, May 17th, 2010
Drawing of the lateral and third ventricles of...
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Periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) is a type of brain injury that affects infants. Small areas of brain tissue die that are around fluid-filled areas called ventricles. The damage creates “holes” in the brain.

Periventricular leukomalacia involves softening and damage of the white matter, the inner part of the brain that transmits information from one part of the brain to another, as well as between the nerve cells and the spinal cord.

The name “periventricular leukomalacia” can be broken down in this way:

  • Periventricular –Means near or around the ventricles. These are the spaces in the brain that contain cerebrospinal fluid.
  • Leuko – Means white.
  • Malacia – Means softening.

Periventricular leukomalacia is primarily found in premature infants. The most prematurely born babies are the ones at greatest risk.

The incidence of this disorder is between 4% and 26% in premature infants in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). As many as 75% of premature infants have evidence of periventricular leukomalacia on postmortem examination. It occurs most often in premature babies younger than 32 weeks’ gestation at birth.

Periventricular leukomalacia is extremely important because it is one of the major causes of cerebral palsy (link to page Cerebral Palsy and Disability) and other long-term disabilities. 60 to 100% of infants with this condition later develop signs of Cerebral Palsy.

The primary cause of periventricular leukomalacia is premature birth. One of the major reasons for this is thought to be changes in blood flow to the area around the ventricles of your baby’s brain. This area is delicate and has a propensity for injury, especially before 32 weeks of gestation. Infection around the time your baby is born may also be a contributing factor in causing periventricular leukomalacia.

At the beginning, there may be no visible effects of this condition. When there are signs or symptoms, here is what to look for with your baby:

  • Delayed motor movement
  • Problems with coordination
  • Impaired hearing and vision
  • Contracted, tight, spastic leg muscles
  • Delayed intellectual development
  • Seizures.

Periventricular leukomalacia may be the cause of your child’s disability. It may be why you need financial assistance.

You may have applied for that financial assistance for your child with disability by applying for Social Security disability benefits or Supplemental Security Income from the Social Security Administration because of the disability caused by periventricular leukomalacia. Was your child with disability denied?

You may be considering appealing the denial by the Social Security Administration. If you do, here is something to always remember.

Your child with disability will need to be represented by a disability attorney in the appeals procedure. This is true because people who are represented by a disability lawyer like the one you will find here are approved more often than those people who do not have an attorney.

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Cancer victim dies before benefits arrive; three charged, two convicted in terroristic threats against SSA

Saturday, May 8th, 2010

A few weeks ago, we discussed the case of a Farmington, New Hampshire woman who was fighting terminal cancer while waiting on her disability checks to start arriving. Heather Russell, 47, was hoping to live long enough to see her cousin get married this month, and then a niece’s wedding in June.

She made it to the cousin’s ceremony but died early April 27–and still had never seen even one disability check for the Stage IV small-cell lung cancer diagnosed in May 2009.

First check was expected this month

According to the online version of Foster’s Daily Democrat, Russell “was supposed to see her first disability check [in late May], at the end of the mandatory five-month waiting period disability insurance recipients have to endure. An agency spokesperson has said the delay is to ensure aid is going to people who are truly disabled. There is a bill in Congress to abolish the waiting period.”

Unfortunately, Russell’s case is more the rule than an exception. The SSI/SSDI process is notorious nationwide for the backlog of cases, even in regions that have shown improvement.  According to an April 19 report in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, North Texans are waiting about two months less for hearings than they were a year ago, an improvement related to “a plan launched last year [that] has helped speed turnaround. The agency hired 147 administrative law judges, who hear appeal cases, and 1,000 support staff in fiscal 2009, according to the agency.” More hiring is planned for this year, according to SSA.

National rate improving, but still tedious

Nationwide the 2008 backlog of 750,000 cases required a national average wait-time of 514 days, according to the S-T, down this year to 697,437 cases requiring an average 442 days, although some areas still experience delays of well over 600 days.

The article also succinctly summarizes the cruelty of the trap so often faced by those in the queue: “While they wait, applicants get no medical benefits or financial assistance. If they find temporary work to make ends meet until they get a ruling, they risk having their claim denied because they are considered employed.”

White powder and threats of violence

In three recent, apparently unrelated cases, judges have handed down two prison sentences to men convicted of terroristic behavior toward the SSA. Two of the men, one of whom was to be arraigned on May 7,  mailed letters containing talcum, or baby powder, to various agency offices, intending to mimic the post-9/11 anthrax scare.

According to a May 3 report in the Las Vegas Sun, “A convicted felon who made threatening telephone calls to several Social Security offices after his benefits were terminated was sentenced Friday to 46 months in prison and three years of supervised release, Nevada’s U.S. Attorney Daniel Bogden said today.”

Described as a 54-year-old “whose address is unknown to authorities,” Leon Muhammad “was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roger Hunt. Muhammad, who was arrested on Dec. 17 in Columbia, S.C., pleaded guilty on March 31 to making threatening communications in interstate commerce. He was sentenced at the top of the available sentencing range because he had two prior violent felony convictions in New York and New Jersey and was determined to be a career offender.”

Man had, then lost, benefits

Muhammad was said to have begun receiving benefits in 2005, but in November 2009 SSA dropped him. “Between Nov. 20 and Dec. 3, Muhammad made several threatening telephone calls from Las Vegas to Social Security call service centers in Baltimore, Salinas, Calif., and Auburn, Wash., in an attempt to secure the reinstatement of his benefits. At one point, Muhammad told a representative that if he did not receive payment in his bank account by a set time later that day, he would go to the Social Security office in Las Vegas, where he was vacationing, and create another ‘Valentine Blood Bath.’ ”

A few weeks earlier, a district judge in Alabama, according to an April 21 piece at al.com, “sentenced a Haleyville man to seven months in prison for mailing a letter containing white powder and photos of the 9/11 attacks to the Social Security Administration in Cullman.

“U.S. District Judge Karon Bowdre also sentenced Patrick Bryant Wilson, 41, to three years of supervised release, including seven months of home confinement.”

The deal was part of plea agreement reached in December. According to the defense attorney, Wilson was hurt on the job where he was a a regional manager and subsequently lost the job. He applied for benefits and was denied.

He used his home address

According to the plea agreement, says the article, Wilson “dropped off a letter Aug. 25 at the Cullman post office that was addressed to the Social Security Administration and listed Wilson’s home as the return address, according to his plea agreement. A postal worker noticed it was leaking a white powder, which was later determined to be baby powder. The letter also included two photos of the Twin Towers burning.”

In California, Timothy Cloud not only sent threatening letters to SSA offices but also addressed one to the president at the White House. Moreover, he had a “Plan B,” as explained by this piece in The Sacramento Bee:

“So far, Timothy Cloud’s seems to be working out for him. . . .

” ‘I mailed the envelopes … to those addresses because I hoped people would think it was anthrax,’ he wrote [in a statement to federal agents]. ‘I mailed the letters because I was mad. I knew I would be caught.

” ‘I do not regret sending the envelopes because that was my retirement plan. Either I was going to get Social Security or I was going to jail.’

Cloud is described as a 62-year-old homeless man with a record as a sex offender. Apparently well known on the streets, he seemed to be going about his hand-to-mouth routine when agents finally caught up with him.

‘Three hots and a cot’

His attorney, whom Cloud was initially reluctant to accept, was quoted as saying: “All he wanted was three hots and a cot,” said his attorney, Assistant Federal Defender Matthew Bockmon. “He was frustrated with Social Security over denial of benefits to which he feels entitled.

“This is a pathetic case of a homeless person making a desperate cry for help. He’s been on the streets a long time; long enough that he was sick of it.”

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More Benefits of Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

Thursday, October 15th, 2009

Another benefit of receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is that you may qualify to receive Medicaid. It is important to remember that Medicare and Medicaid are not the same thing. Medicaid is a federally-funded, state-run program that provides medical assistance for individuals and families with limited incomes and resources. Medicaid pays for your health care costs, including doctor’s visits and eye care.

If you receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and you get Medicare, your state may pay your Medicare premiums if you have low income and few resources. In some cases, your state may also pay Medicare expenses like deductibles and coinsurance.

Only your state will know if you are qualified. Your state or local welfare office or Medicaid agency can tell you whether you are qualified to receive these benefits.

You also may be able to get extra help paying for the annual deductibles, monthly premiums and prescription co-payments related to the Medicare prescription drug program (Part D). You may qualify for extra help if you have limited income (tied to the federal poverty level) and limited resources. These income and resource limits change each year and are not the same as the SSI income and resource limits. You can contact Social Security for the current numbers.

If you have both Medicaid with prescription drug coverage and Medicare, Medicare and SSI, or if your state pays for your Medicare premiums, you automatically will get this extra help. You will not need to apply for it.

As you can see, there is a worthwhile monthly cash benefit that you will receive if you qualify for Supplemental Security Income (SSI). In addition, there are the additional benefits listed above that you may qualify for because you are receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI). It is certainly worth the time and effort to apply for SSI.

You may have applied and been denied for Supplemental Security Income (SSI). What can you do now? What options are open to you?

If you decide to appeal the denial by the Social Security Administration, you are probably going to need the help and advice of a good disability attorney. People who have an experienced disability lawyer are approved more often than those without an attorney.

SocialSecurityHome.com is the Web site where you can get in touch with a disability lawyer who can help you get the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits that you are entitled to.

Appealing the denial by the Social Security Administration can be a long and trying process. The disability attorney at SocialSecurityHome.com can counsel and assist you in your efforts to win your claim.

Do not put this off. Do not wait or delay. This is something that is vitally important to you and your future. Contact the disability lawyer at SocialSecurityHome.com, today.

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Asperger’s Syndrome and Receiving Social Security Disability

Monday, September 14th, 2009

Have you applied for Social Security disability benefits or disability benefits on behalf of your child with disability from the Social Security Administration because of the disability caused by Asperger’s syndrome? Was your child with disability denied?

You may intend to appeal the denial by the Social Security Administration. If you do, remember this.

Your child with disability will need the help of a good disability lawyer like the one at socialsecurityhome.com in this process. This is true because people who are represented by a knowledgeable disability attorney are approved more often than those without a lawyer.

If your child was just diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, you may want a little information about the disorder.

In 1944, an Austrian pediatrician named Hans Asperger noticed four children in his practice who had a hard time integrating socially. The children lacked nonverbal communication skills, were physically clumsy and failed to demonstrate empathy with their peers even though their intelligence appeared normal.

Their all-absorbing interest in a single topic dominated their conversations, and their way of speaking was either overly formal or disjointed. Dr. Asperger called the condition “autistic psychopathy” and described it as a personality disorder primarily marked by social isolation.

In 1981, an English doctor named Lorna Wing published a series of case studies of children who demonstrated similar symptoms. She called this “Asperger’s” syndrome. This is where the name comes from.

This disorder is known by some other names. It is also called Asperger syndrome, Asperger’s disorder, Asperger’s or AS.

As mentioned above, Asperger’s syndrome is a developmental disorder that affects a child’s ability to communicate and socialize effectively with other people. Children with Asperger’s syndrome typically exhibit an all-absorbing interest in specific topics and social awkwardness.

Asperger’s syndrome is a milder variant of autistic disorder. Doctors group Asperger’s syndrome with four other conditions that are called pervasive developmental disorders or autistic spectrum disorders. These disorders all involve problems with social skills and communication.

Two out of every 10,000 children have Asperger’s syndrome. Boys are three to four times more likely than girls to have this disorder.

There are several effects that Asperger’s syndrome may have on your child with disability. Some of the effects to watch for in your child with disability are:

  • Appears not to understand, to be sensitive to, or to empathize with the feelings of others
  • Displays unusual, nonverbal communication like few facial expressions, lack of eye contact, or awkward gestures and body postures
  • Has a rigid gait or an odd posture
  • Has a hard time understanding humor or “reading” other people
  • Engages in long-winded, one-sided conversations, without noticing if the listener is trying to change the subject or if the person is listening
  • Shows an intense obsession with one or two specific, narrow subjects like snakes, train schedules, baseball statistics or weather.

If you have a child with disability who has Asperger’s syndrome, you may need help. You may need financial assistance.

There is help available from the Social Security Administration in the form of disability benefits or Supplemental Security Income. You can apply for these benefits without an attorney, but it is shown that the help of a good advocate on your behalf increases your chance of receiving benefits.

This is something of great importance. Do not delay. Contact the experienced disability attorney at socialsecurityhome.com, today.

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Separation Anxiety Disorder in Children and Receiving Social Security Disability

Friday, August 21st, 2009

You may have a child with disability who has separation anxiety disorder. This may be the cause of your child’s disability.

If this is true, you may need help. You may need financial assistance.

Have you applied for Social Security disability benefits or disability benefits for your child with disability from the Social Security Administration because of the disability caused by separation anxiety disorder? Was your child with disability denied?

If you appeal the denial by the Social Security Administration, remember this. People who are represented by a caring disability attorney like the one at socialsecurityhome.com in the appeals procedure are approved more often than those people who are not represented by a lawyer.

There is a difference between separation anxiety and separation anxiety disorder. Separation anxiety is a normal stage of development for secure, healthy babies.

It usually involves crying and distress when the baby is separated from parents or home. With the passage of time, however, the child learns to feel safe in a new environment. The child feels secure that a parent will return. Gradually the separation anxiety fades away.

On the other hand, separation anxiety disorder is excessive, age-inappropriate fear of being separated from family members. This is particularly true of being separated from parents.

Children with separation anxiety disorder are afraid of being lost to their families. Or, they are sure something bad will happen to their family members if they are separated from them. Separation anxiety disorder can inhibit or restrict a child’s normal activities to a significant degree.

Separation anxiety disorder usually begins in children who are of school age. It affects about 4% of children 6-12 and a slightly lower proportion of adolescents. Separation anxiety disorder affects girls and boys about the same

The causes of separation anxiety disorder can involve a traumatic experience a child has gone through. These are things like

§  A scary event (tornado, earthquake)

§  A serious separation (parent in the military)

§  A big change (starting a new school, birth of brother or sister)

§  Stress in the family (coming divorce, serious illness or death of family member or pet)

§  Sickness (major or minor).

The main sign or symptom of separation anxiety disorder is fear that is exaggerated out of proportion to real problems or situations. Other signs and symptoms can be physical or behavioral such as:

  • Headaches or stomachaches when they come persistently before separation from parents
  • Following parents around the house, not wanting them to be out of sight
  • Asking to sleep in bed with parents at night
  • Nightmares of parents leaving or being gone
  • Excessive worry or panic at the experience or anticipation of being away from home
  • Refusing to go to school or other activities away from home
  • Excessive worry about their own safety or that of members of the family.

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The Benefits of Social Security Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

Tuesday, March 10th, 2009

You are disabled and unable to work. You apply for Social Security disability benefits (SSD) and are denied by the Social Security Administration because you have not worked enough to qualify for SSD benefits.

What do you do now? What other steps can you take? What other options do you have open to you?

One of your best options may be to apply for Social Security Supplemental Security Income (SSI).  It is a federal income supplement program. Although the Social Security Administration manages Supplemental Security Income (SSI), the funds come from general tax revenues, not Social Security taxes.

The Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program is designed to help aged, blind and disabled people with little or no income. It provides cash to meet the basic needs of food, clothing and shelter.

While you may not have worked enough to qualify for Social Security disability benefits (SSD), you may qualify for Supplemental Security Income (SSI). With SSI there are no work requirements that you have to meet.

One of the good things about Supplemental Security Income is that the Social Security Administration does not count all of your income when it decides whether you qualify for SSI. For example, the Social Security Administration does not count:

  •          The first $20 a month of most income you receive;
  •          The first $65 a month you earn from working and half the amount over $65;
  •          Food stamps;
  •          Shelter you get from private nonprofit organizations;
  •          Most home energy assistance.

You may ask, “Is it worth it? What are the benefits available to me through Supplemental Security Income (SSI)?

The first benefit that you will receive if you are approved for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is your monthly cash benefit. The monthly benefit for an individual is $674. A qualifying couple receives $1,011 a month.

In addition, if you qualify for SSI, you also may be able to get help from your state or county. You will need to check with the state and county that you live in to see what other benefits are available because you qualify for Supplemental Security Income.

For example, you may be able to get Medicaid, food stamps or other social services. Your will need to call your local social services department or public welfare office for information about the services that are available to you in the community where you live.

If everyone in the home where you live signs up for SSI or gets SSI, Social Security will help you fill out the application for food stamps. If you live in a home where not everyone signs up for SSI or gets SSI, you will have to go to your local food stamp office to apply for food stamps.

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Can I get Supplemental Security Income Benefits if I live outside the United States?

Monday, January 26th, 2009

No, unlike the Social Security Disability Insurance program, if you are receiving Supplemental Security Income payments you must live in the United States or Northern Mariana Islands. It is important to talk to the Social Security Administration if you have to leave the United States for an extended period of time. If you leave the United States for a full thirty day period you may have your Supplemental Security Income Benefits suspended.

Other reasons your Supplemental Security Income Benefits could be suspended or denied include:

• If you are a fugitive felon
• If you are sent to prison
• If you intentionally lower their resources or income to qualify for Supplemental Security Income benefits.
• Non-United States Citizens (Certain exceptions may apply-contact the SSA for more information)
• If you leave the United States for a full 30 consecutive days may have their benefits suspended.

Definition for Supplemental Security Income Benefits:

Supplemental Security Income benefits or the SSI program is a disability program which will provide individuals with monthly supplemental income payments. This Supplemental Security Income benefit program is different than the Social Security Disability Insurance program because an individual does not have to have worked and accumulated “work credits”. To qualify for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) an individual must have limited income and resources. The income and resource amount allowed is determined by the federal government. You also must be: age sixty-five or older, or partially or totally blind or have a medical condition that will not allow you to work for at least twelve months or result in death. The method used to determine an individual’s disability is similar for both the Supplemental Security Income and Social Security Disability Insurance programs.

If you qualify for Supplemental Security Income benefits the base supplemental payment amount in 2009 per individual is $674 and the standard supplemental payment amount is $1,011 per couple. Certain states may add additional supplemental payments onto the basic federal standard amount. Certain other payments as well as your living arrangements could also affect the Supplemental Security Income payments you may be eligible to receive.

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