4 Things You Need to Know About SSD Payments

Once you have been approved for Social Security disability (SSD) benefits, understanding how the payment system works is important. If you do not understand, you may receive less money that you are really entitled to, may miss out on back pay, or have other unanswered questions. Here are four things that you need to know about SSD payments. If you have other questions, contact an experienced Social Security disability attorney.

  1. How Your Payments Are Calculated
    The amount of Social Security benefits that you will receive is based on your average lifetime earnings. The more you made throughout your working years, the more you will be entitled to if you are deemed disabled.
  2. When Your Payments Begin
    Surely, if you have been approved for Social Security disability benefits, you have questions about when your payments will begin and how much you will be entitled to. An article in CNN Money explains that disability payments begin only after you have been disabled for five months, and that they continue until your condition improves enough that you are able to return to work and earn a gainful income. In other words, you will be eligible to receive payment on the sixth full month of disability.
  3. You May Be Entitled to Back Payments
    Many people do not realize that they are probably entitled to back pay. The reason that some people may qualify for back pay is that disability claims can take months to process, which may mean a person is entitled to compensation for any months that they had their disability but were not receiving a disability award. You may be entitled to benefits dating back to the date that you first filed your application, minus the five-month waiting period (discussed above). Sometimes, people are eligible to receive years’ worth of back pay.
  4. What a COLA Is
    For those who receive disability benefits, the good news is that your disability benefits may increase every year based on an annual cost of living adjustment, or COLA. The COLA is designed to keep up with the costs of inflation. The COLA is based on a formula designed by the Social Security Administration. As the cost of living increases in the U.S., so will your benefits.

Work With an Experienced Social Security Disability Attorney

Can I have a lawyer represent me in applying for Social Security Disability or Supplemental Security Income? To learn more about How You Qualify for Social Security Benefits, refer to the website of the Social Security Administration. To understand the application process and to learn more about your SSD payments, how to apply, or to dispute a denied claim, contact an experienced SSD lawyer.

SSD claims are complicated – we want to help clarify things. Contact the attorneys at The Bob Richardson Law Firm now to schedule a free case consultation. We will work hard to get you the benefits that you deserve!

Qualifying for SSD Based on Certain Medical Conditions: Mental Illnesses, Diabetes, Back Injuries, Fibromyalgia, and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

When you are suffering from a disabling condition that prevents you from working, filing a claim for Social Security disability benefits can extremely advantageous, providing you with money that you need every month to get by.

But because the Social Security Administration (SSA) has very stringent rules regarding who qualifies for Social Security disability benefits, understanding your rights if you have a certain medical condition that is not listed in the SSA’s “blue book” can be confusing. Here is an overview of what you need to know.

Requirements for Receiving SSD Benefits

Many people believe that all SSD claims for a disability not specifically listed in the Social Security Administration’s “blue book,” or Listing of Impairments – Adult Listings, will not be approved. While it certainly may help your claim if your disability is listed, your claim may still be approved regardless.

This is because in order for your claim to get approved, the Social Security Administration’s Disability Planner reads that you must not be able to do the work that you did before due to your disability, not be able to adjust to other work due to your medical condition, and that your disability has lasted or is expected to last for at least 12 months or/and result in death.

To be sure, the Disability Planner: How We Decide If You Are Disabled, by the SSA, states that step two in the process of determining if a person is able to receive SSD benefits is determining whether or not the person has a “severe” condition that prevents him or her from working. Step three is to then determine whether the person has a condition that is found in the listing of impairments. The step reads that if the person’s condition is not on the list, then the SSA must determine if the condition is “of equal severity to a medical condition on the list.”

Proving That a Medical Condition Prevents You from Working

Proving that a medical condition prevents you from working and is of equal severity to a condition found in the blue book may be the most complex part of filing a convincing claim and being approved for benefits. In order to prove this, you will need to collect all medical evidence related to your disability, including statements from your doctor or multiple doctors that your medical condition is disabling to the point where you are unable to work.

How a Texas SSD Lawyer Can Help You

Can I have a lawyer represent me in applying for Social Security Disability or Supplemental Security Income? If you do not have a disability that is found on the listing of impairments, you may believe that you are unable to file an SSD claim. However, your right to Social Security disability benefits is protected if your condition is disabling and prevents you from working. An SSD lawyer can help you prove this, file your claim, or appeal a denied claim.

At The Bob Richardson Law Firm, our experienced Texas Social Security disability lawyers are ready to get to work today. Contact us online to request your free consultation now.

5 Things You Did Not Know About SSD Benefits in Texas

Here are five things that you did not know about the process for receiving Social Security disability benefits in Texas:

You can recover benefits only if you have been disabled for at least 12 months.

You cannot recover disability benefits unless your condition has lasted — or is expected to last — for a minimum of 12 months or result in death, according to the Social Security Administration’s Disability Benefits publication. SSD is not intended to provide benefits for short-term disabilities or partial disabilities. In order to qualify for benefits, your disability must prevent you from working.

The majority of claims are denied at first.

The award rate for Social Security disability claims is calculated as the number of claim allowances minus subsequent denials, divided by total applications for a given year. Per Outcomes of Applications for Disability Benefits, the award rate for all years from 1991 to 2010 was below 60 percent. In most recent year for which data is available, the award rate was only 34.8 percent. This means that the Social Security Administration denies the majority of claims every year. However, many applicants with valid claims go on to receive the benefits they deserve through the reconsideration and appeals process. Do not give up simply because your initial application was denied.

You must have worked and obtained Social Security work credits.

In order to recover benefits under Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) (but not Supplemental Security Income), you must have earned Social Security work credits. In fact, you will not qualify for SSDI unless you have worked long enough, as well as recently enough, under Social Security, according to the Social Security Administration. The amount of credits that you will need changes on a yearly basis. In general, however, you will need approximately 40 credits.

You need to fill out your application completely.

If you do not fill out your application for Social Security disability benefits completely, then your application will likely be denied, or the process will be significantly delayed. Be sure to include the following information in an application for Social Security benefits (per the Social Security Administration’s site on How to Apply Online for Disability Benefits):

– All information about you (name, birthdate, Social Security number, etc.)
– Information about your medical condition
– Information about your work history
– Proof of citizenship
– W-2 forms
– Medical evidence in your possession
– Any award letter, settlement agreements, etc. that you have receive

A Social Security lawyer can help you gather any missing documents and ensure that your application is completed in full.

You need a Texas Social Security disability benefits lawyer.

Can I have a lawyer represent me in applying for Social Security Disability or Supplemental Security Income? Many people think that they can file or appeal a claim for Social Security disability in Texas on their own. However, when you hire a Social Security disability lawyer, your chances of your claim being approved are improved. If you are ready to get started on your Social Security disability application, contact the team at The Bob Richardson Law Firm in Austin and Waco today. Your first consultation with us is always free.