Supplemental Security Income

Posts Tagged ‘Supplemental Security Income’

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.

Tags: disability, Health care, Law, Medicaid, Medicare, Medicare Part D, Prescription drug, Social Security, social security administration, SSI, Supplemental Security Income
Posted in Supplemental Security Income | No Comments »

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.

Tags: Separation Anxiety Disorder, Social Security Disability, social security disability attorney, SSI, Supplemental Security Income
Posted in Supplemental Security Income | Comments Off

What happens if I try to work while applying for Social Security disability benefits?

Friday, June 5th, 2009

You can work and still apply for Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income. You also may be able to continue working and receive Social Security Disability Benefits. The Social Security Administration will determine if you are eligible for benefits by determining if you are able to engage in substantial gainful activity (SGA).

Substantial gainful activity for individuals who are blind is currently $1,640 (this amount does not apply to Supplemental Security Income benefits). For individuals who are not blind, the monthly substantial gainful activity amount for 2009, is $980 before taxes. If you are making more than the allocated SGA limits the Social Security Administration will automatically deny your benefits and consider you not disabled. For updated SGA annual amounts please review SSA’s pulication 05-10003.

Unfortunately, if you are still working after you apply for Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income for practical purposes, it may hurt your chances of approval. To receive Social Security Disability benefits the Administrative Law Judge (at the hearing level) or the case examiner at the Social Security Disability application level will be examining your case to determine if you could do any type of work full time. Full time is forty hours per week, which is eight hours, five days a week. The jobs the Administrative Law Judge can consider could be unskilled jobs which could be done sitting, with little or no training, and low stress. Examples of unskilled labor can include the following jobs:

Taper, printed circuit layout
Textile Inspector
Call-out Operator
Egg Processor
Polisher,
Order puller

The Social Security Administration could argue you could these jobs with little skill or interaction with a boss, or co-worker. If you are currently working part time at a low skilled job, making $800 per month, the Administrative Law Judge may decide that you could work a little bit more with a little more effort. If he makes this decision, he will conclude you are not disabled.

Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income benefits are for individuals who are unable to work. If you are able to do any type of work over the SGA amount, even if it is a job you have not done before or one you may not be interested in doing, if it is something you could qualify for based on your age, educational background and work history, you will probably not be eligible for Social Security Disability benefits. Your Social Security Disability Attorneys job in your Social Security Disability Hearing is to convince the Administrative Law Judge you are unable to do any type of job full time. This can include even a low stress, simple, unskilled job.

Many individuals have tried several attempts to go back to work and have been unable to maintain employment due to their physical or mental disability. Multiple unsuccessful attempts to return to work can actually help your Social Security Disability Claim. If you have tried to work, but have been unsuccessful, your willingness to try could show the Administrative Law Judge that you are motivated but simply unable to work.

If you are considering filing a Social Security Disability Application or if you have filed and have been turned down, contact a Social Security Disability Attorney who can help increase your chances of receiving either Supplemental Security Income or Social Security Disability Insurance at all stages of the Social Security Disability application process.

Tags: Social Security Disability, social security disability attorney, Supplemental Security Income, working on disability
Posted in Social Security Disability | No Comments »

Can A Social Security Disability Attorney help speed up my Social Security Disability Hearing or Social Security Disability Decision?

Wednesday, April 8th, 2009

There are only a few scenarios in which a Social Security Disability Attorney can help speed up a Social Security Disability Hearing. It is important to understand that the main goal of hiring a Social Security Disability Attorney is to increase your chances or winning your Social Security Disability claim, not expediting the Social Security Disability process. That said, listed below are several ways a Social Security Disability Attorney may be able to help expedite your Social Security Disability Claim:

Ensure all updated medical information is gathered in a timely fashion and sent to the Social Security Administration prior to all appeals.
In certain limited cases a Social Security Disability hearings may be scheduled more quickly if the claimant can prove they are in dire need. The Social Security Disability Attorney can work with the claimant to submit the necessary paperwork: dire need letter, past due notices for rent, utility bills, eviction notices and medical prescriptions. There must be serious financial need to warrant an expedited Social Security Disability hearing.
If you have had a Social Security Disability Hearing scheduled you may be able to expedite the decision by requesting an on-the-record-review (OTR). This OTR request will ask that the Social Security Disability claim be reviewed before the Administrative hearing is held. The main benefit of the on-the-record-review is that you may get approved more quickly with out waiting for the decision of the Administrative Law Judge at the Social Security Disability hearing. OTR Reviews are only approved if your physical or mental health condition has gotten substantially worse and your medical information is up to date and can substantiate your worsening health claim.
The last way to speed up the Social Security Disability hearing is to have a United States Congressman or United States Senator launch a congressional inquiry. A Social Security Disability hearing may be expedited for a claimant if a staff member requests it either by calling or writing. This is difficult to do, but has had limited success.

In most instances a Social Security Disability Attorney will not be able to move your Social Security Disability claim through the Social Security Administrative process faster than you can with out Social Security Disability legal representation. What the Social Security Disability Attorney can do is increase your chances of winning Social Security Disability benefits at all levels of the Social Security Disability process.

Most ssdi.htm”title=”SS Disability Insurance” >Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income claims are denied at the initial application level and the reconsideration level. If your Social Security Disability claim is appealed to the Administrative Law Judge level and you are scheduled for a Social Security Disability hearing, representation by a Social Security Disability lawyer can greatly increase your chances of success.

A Social Security Disability Attorney has the experience to gather, read and evaluate your medical documentation and prepare the information for the Administrative Law Judge in the format he requires. The Social Security Disability Attorney can evaluate your mental and physical health impairments and help the Administrative Law Judge evaluate how it compares to the Social Security Impairment Listing and determine the amount of your residual work capacity.

The most important thing a Social Security Disability Attorney offers is the expertise to navigate the Social Security Disability hearings, decipher and answer all the Administrative Law Judge questions and answer questions regarding your work capacity. If there are vocational or medical experts who are providing expert testimony for the Administrative Law Judge, your Social Security Disability Attorney can respond to the experts and provide additional information which the Administrative Law Judge can use to make his decision.

Tags: disability lawyer, Social Security Disabilitty Attorney, Social Security Disability Application, Social Security Disability Benefits, Social Security Disability case, Social Security Disability Process, social security disability review, Supplemental Security Income
Posted in Social Security Disability | Comments Off

How To Apply For Social Security Disability Benefits

Monday, February 2nd, 2009

If you have become disabled and are not able to work for at least twelve months due to a physical or mental health limitation you may be eligible for Social Security Disability payments. The Social Security Administration administers two different disability programs. They are Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income.

Social Security Disability Insurance requires that you are disabled and you have worked a certain number of pay periods and paid employment taxes. When you work and pay taxes you are accumulating work credits. If you become disabled and have enough work credits accumulated you may be able to draw Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits. Benefits may also be available to widows, dependents and widowers.

Supplemental Security Income is the second program administered by the Social Security Administration. This program is for individuals who are aged (65 years or older), blind or individuals who have limited income and resources and are disabled and unable to work. The disability requirements that must be met for each program are the same. Limited income and resources are determined by the Social Security Administration and the amount can vary by year.

To apply for Social Security Disability benefits, both SSI and SSDI, you can contact the Social Security Administration in the following ways:

Call the Social Security Administration’s Office at 1-800-772-1213
Visit the Social Security Administration online at www.socialsecurity.gov and complete the Social Security Disability application.
Make an appointment to meet with a Social Security Disability representative at a local Social Security Administration Office. To locate the nearest Social Security Administration office in your area go to the www.socialsecurity.gov website and find the Social Security Administration office locator page. Enter your zip code and the nearest Social Security Administration Regional Office in your area will be listed for you.
After you have met with a SSA representative or filled out the Social Security Disability Application on line your completed Social Security Disability application will be sent to the appropriate Social Security Administration Office. It may take 30-90 days for your Social Security Disability application to be processed. If you are denied Social Security Disability benefits, they will send you a denial letter in the mail. You have 60 days from the date of the denial letter to file your Social Security Disability benefits. If you are approved for Social Security Disability benefits they will send you a letter outlining the Social Security Disability benefits you can expect to receive and the date you will receive them.

If you are applying for Social Security Disability Benefits or if you have questions regarding Social Security Disability benefits, you can contact a Social Security Disability lawyer who can answer all of your Social Security Disability questions. If you have been denied benefits a Social Security Disability Attorney can also help with each phase of the Social Security Disability appeals process and increase your chances for getting benefits.

Tags: Apply For Disability, disability, Disability Attorney, disability lawyer, Social Security Disability, social security disability attorney, Social Security Disability Lawyer, social security disability review, Supplemental Security Income
Posted in Social Security Disability | Comments Off

What Does a Social Security Disability Attorney Do?

Thursday, January 29th, 2009

If you are considering applying for Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income benefits the expertise of a Social Security Disability Attorney can help. A Social Security Disability Attorney can increase your chances of receiving Social Security Disability benefits at each stage of the Social Security Disability application and appeals process. The Social Security Disability Attorney will not complete the Social Security Disability application process but if you have retained a Social Security Disability Attorney this may increase your chances of receiving Social Security Disability benefits even at the application level. If you are denied Social Security Disability Benefits a Social Security Disability Attorney will complete the following tasks for you:

• The Social Security Attorney will review all of your medical information and your initial Social Security Disability application to make sure it included all relevant information.
• The Social Security Attorney will complete the first step of the Social Security Disability appeal’s process. In most states this is the Reconsideration phase. The Reconsideration paperwork must be submitted to the Social Security Administration with in sixty days of the Social Security Disability denial letter. There are ten states which do not have the Reconsideration phase and the first step in the Social Security Disability appeals process will be a Judicial hearing with an Administrative Law Judge.
• The Social Security Disability Attorney will present your Social Security Disability Case before the Administrative Law Judge. This will include gathering all of your medical information and developing a persuasive case, meeting with you prior to the Judicial hearing and arguing your Social Security Disability case before the Administrative Law Judge.
• The Social Security Disability Attorney can help appeal your Social Security Disability case to the Advisory Council if the Administrative Judge does not approve your Social Security Disability claim.

If you have applied and been denied Social Security Disability benefits you can get help. Unfortunately, most Social Security Disability applications are denied at the initial phases of the Social Security Disability process. Do not get discouraged even if you have been denied at the initial level and the reconsideration level, with a competent Social Security Disability Attorney arguing your Social Security Disability case at the Judicial Hearing level you have a strong chance that your Social Security Disability benefits will be approved. Call today or fill out the FREE evaluation form to discuss your Social Security Disability case with a qualified Social Security Disability Attorney.

Tags: appeals process, social security administration, Social Security Disability, social security disability attorney, social security disability review, Supplemental Security Income
Posted in Social Security Disability | Comments Off

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.

Tags: social security administration, Social Security Disability Benefits, SSDI, SSI, Supplemental Security Income
Posted in Supplemental Security Income | Comments Off

Why Does it take so long to receive Social Security Disability Benefits?

Monday, January 19th, 2009

Each year thousands of Social Security Disability applicants are forced to wait months and sometimes even years to receive Social Security Disability benefits. There are several reasons why it takes so long for the Social Security Administration to process Social Security disability claims, but in general a Social Security Disability application can take up to 100 days at the initial examination level to process.

If you are denied Social Security Disability benefits at the application level and enter into the reconsideration phase (the first level of the Social Security Disability appeals process in most states) it can take an additional 30-60 days.

If you are denied at the reconsideration level and you must attend a Social Security Disability hearing you may have to wait one to two years in certain parts of the country for your Social Security Disability hearing to be scheduled.

Here are some of the reasons it takes so long to get your disability benefits from the Social Security Administration:

1. The Social Security Administration must seriously consider each Social Security Disability application and they must be fair to each claimant. This means that Social Security Disability examiners within the Social Security Administration must gather and process medical records for listed medical conditions. They must also examine and review Social Security Disability applications from claimants that may in fact have a dubious Social Security Disability claim. Examining each Social Security Disability application is a good idea, but unfortunately other more severe Social Security Disability cases will take longer to process.

2. The Social Security Administration is understaffed and the case load for each examiner and Administrative Judge is very high. In the last few years various legislative actions have been taken to improve the employment staffing situation within the Social Security Administration.

3. The Social Security Disability application process has very specific steps which must be completed to get Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits. The first step is filing your Social Security Disability application. Your application will be sent to a medical examiner who gathers the medical records and reviews them. If your medical information is insufficient, additional medical exams may be required to make an accurate medical determination. Other individuals may also have to provide information on your daily activities. The disability examiner will than either consult with other medical personnel with in the disability agency to make a disability medical determination or in some cases make the decision themselves.

4. The Social Security Disability appeals process can be very long and the wait time to receive an administrative court hearing date in some parts of the process can take from 1 to 2 years. Many Social Security Disability claimants ask if their Social Security Disability claims can be expedited. There are very few emergency situations that will allow for an expedited administrative hearing.

It is important to discuss any emergency situations with your Social Security Disability attorney. They may be able to file a ‘dire need letter’ to the hearing office where your Social Security Disability claim is going to be scheduled.

Many claimants ask when they can expect to receive their benefits and unfortunately, there is not a clear answer for each Social Security Disability applicant. Some individuals who file for SSI or SSDI have very severe physical or mental conditions that will be approved at the initial Social Security Disability application level and they may receive their benefits quickly. Other Social Security Disability applicants will have to go through many phases of the Social Security Application appeals process and they may have to wait months or sometimes even years to receive their benefits.

The good news is that many Social Security Disability claims that are denied at the application and reconsideration appeals level do end up approved after a Administrative Judge reviews them at the Social Security Disability hearing. If your Social Security Disability claim is at the judicial hearing level, it may be a good idea to consult a Social Security Disability attorney who can review your claim and help prepare your case prior to the hearing.

If you have been denied Social Security Disability benefits or have questions about a Social Security Disability claim, contact a Social Security Disability lawyer who can answer your questions and review your Social Security Disability claim.

SSD/SSI Resources

Major Categories of Common Disabilities:

Disability Blog:

Archives

Categories

Disability Blog

Posts Tagged ‘Supplemental Security Income’

	Disability Questions \| Common Disabilities \| Glossary \| Resources \| Free Special Report \| RSS \| Legal Disclaimer \| Privacy Policy \| Site Map Copyright © 2006 - 2010 SocialSecurityHome.com. All rights reserved.