Social Security Disability Attorney Blog

SSA Administrative Funding For Fiscal Year 2018 Remains In Question

October 1st marked the beginning of Fiscal Year 2018, but Congress did not pass a budget resolution for it until October 26th. Budget resolutions deal with total spending limits for the fiscal year in question. Both the House and Senate passed budget resolutions in October, but the two were drastically different, and for a time, it seemed as though conference was going to be the only way to resolve the differences. However, the House eventually passed the Senate’s version by a very slim margin: 20 Republicans sided with the Democrats to vote against it. The Concurrent Budget Resolution (a resolution… Learn More

Applications and Appeals Numbers Trending Downward

Applications for SSI disability benefits and SSDI disabled worker benefits peaked in 2010. Since then, they have decreased each year, and that downward trend continued for SSDI applications in 2017 (2017’s SSI numbers will not be available until late next year). Also of note is the decrease in requests for hearings. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2016, there were 698,579 requests for ALJ hearings. In FY 2017, there were 620,977 requests. This represents an 11% drop. It is predicted that this downward trend will continue into FY 2018. It is likely that these decreases are, at least in part, due to… Learn More

New Additions to the Compassionate Allowance List

On August 20, 2018, the SSA added five conditions to the Compassionate Allowance List (CAL). With these new additions, the CAL now includes 233 conditions. The CAL helps the SSA identify conditions that automatically meet the criteria for disability benefits. One of the major benefits of the CAL is that it significantly reduces waiting times for claimants who suffer from conditions on the list. The SSA uses the CAL to evaluate claims for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) as well as those for Supplemental Security Income (SSI). The new additions to the CAL are: -Fibrolamellar Cancer -Megacystis Microcolon Intestinal Hypoperistalsis… Learn More

New Report Sheds Light on Factors That Contribute to Delayed Hearings

Recently, the SSA’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) released a report called “Workload Review of the Office of Hearings Operations’ Atlanta and New York Regions” exploring some of the reasons for the high processing times of hearing offices in said regions. According to the report, the most common reasons for delays were: insufficient staffing, poorly performing support staff and Administrative Law Judges (ALJs), low employee morale, supplemental hearings and postponements, and difficulty scheduling expert witness testimony. The New York region faced additional challenges in the form of office management issues and state laws requiring select welfare recipients to apply… Learn More

Benefits of Hiring a California Social Security Attorney

Do you have a disability? Hiring a California Social Security Disability Attorney can greatly decrease the headache of filing for disability or dealing with other bureaucratic problems. Here are some of the benefits of having a California Social Security Lawyer on your side: Social Security Law is a Labyrinth of Rules and Regulation If you are filing a claim, there are many technical details that you will have to be mindful of when preparing your case. The Social Security Administration has many often seemingly arbitrary rules and may even change them without your realizing. Lawyers who specialize in Social Security… Learn More

Approving A California Social Security Disability Claim

Today, millions of people are receiving social security disability benefits which help them cope with the cost of living while being disabled. While the program itself has enjoyed remarkable success in helping those around the country cover their daily expenses, it is not one where everyone who applies is automatically approved. In fact, only about three out of ten get approved the first time. There are steps that you must take to help assure that you will be approved for the benefits that you are entitled if you qualify. That’s why it is important to maximize your chances of being… Learn More

Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) Applications Continue to Decrease

Since peaking at 2.9 million in 2010, the number of applicants for SSDI disabled worker benefits has fallen each year. Title II disabled worker claims numbered 508,355 fewer in 2015 than in 2010, and the first three quarters of 2016 suggest that the decrease will continue. In the first nine months of 2016, there were 57,053 fewer applications than there were in 2015 over the same time period. What’s more, the number of current beneficiaries receiving Title II disabled worker benefits is also lower than it has been. This can be attributed to fewer claims in general, fewer claims receiving… Learn More

What Is 2017’s Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA)?

On October 18, the Social Security Administration announced a 0.3% COLA for the year 2017. In terms of benefits, that means: -An average Title II disabled worker’s benefits will increase $4 per month from the current $1166.46. -Supplemental Security Income (SSI) will increase to $735 for individuals (up from $733), and $1103 for couples (up from $1100). The COLA is based on the price of a basket of goods as measured by the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W). A low rate of inflation for that basket in 2016 translates to a low COLA for… Learn More

Lengthy Wait Times for Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) Hearings are Costing Lives

Each month, the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) hearing-level processing time increases. Unfortunately, the increase is proving lethal for claimants who are too ill to survive the lengthy wait. You’re going to want to pick an aggressive, experienced attorney, one who has top ratings on Lawyers.com. According to the SSA, between September 26, 2015 and September 1, 2016, 7,897 claimants died while their hearing requests were pending. The SSA’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) reports that the average age of these now-deceased claimants was 50 years old, and the average wait time for a hearing was 403 days. Terminally ill… Learn More

The Congressional Budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2017

In mid-March, House Budget Committee Chairman Tom Price (R-GA) introduced the Congressional budget for Federal Fiscal Year (FY) 2017, which commences on October 1, 2016. The Congressional budget does not go to the President for a signature, nor is it legally binding. Instead, it is passed as a concurrent resolution and outlines spending limits in broad strokes, known as budget outlays and budget authority. In other words, The Congressional budget establishes overall spending caps; it does not address funding limits for specific agencies, such as the Social Security Administration (SSA). This year, things worked a little differently, because spending limits… Learn More

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