The goal of an administrative law judge is to determine whether or not an applicant who is appealing a denial of his or her Social Security Disability claim is actually entitled to the benefits that he or she is trying to get. As a part of this process, the administrative law judge must determine if there is any type of work that this applicant could perform in the national economy.
Nearly everyone has heard that the Social Security program is in a crisis. Without serious changes or reform, analysts are expecting the program to go bankrupt sometime in the near future. Exactly when that will happen (or even if it will happen) has been a topic of debate for quite some time. However, a recent report indicates that Social Security Disability benefits are expected to jump by 71 percent over the next ten years. What does this mean for this already-troubled program?
There is no doubt about it that the Social Security Disability hearing process can be a stressful endeavor. When a person is under stress it is not uncommon to forget that there are things that you wanted to mention to the administrative law judge who was hearing your case. In such situations an applicant may wonder if there is anything they can do to update their hearing testimony – especially if the information left out may be very important to the outcome of the case.
July is UV safety month and organizations around the nation are doing their part to inform the public about the dangers of UV light. What many people don’t realize is that no matter how much sunscreen you lather on, if you’re not protecting your eyes from those harmful UV rays you may be putting yourself at risk of a visual impairment. UV rays can harm your eyes just as easily as they can harm your skin and harm to your eyes can lead to drastic changes in your life.
When an individual passes away, their family is supposed to receive a one-time death benefit and then the Social Security payments stop. The SSA is supposed to record the deaths of these individuals to ensure that payments stop and that the proper federal agencies and private companies are notified so that families or other interested parties do not wrongly receive benefits after these individuals pass away.
On June 12th of this year it was announced that the Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee approved a fiscal year 2013 bill that will provide the government with $158.8 billion in current year discretionary funding. Exactly what does this mean? That the government has more than $158 billion dollars to spend to improve programs to help American citizens. The question is what exactly does this mean for the Social Security Administration (SSA)?
Recent reports show that the unemployment rate for individuals who suffer from disabling conditions has dropped to an all-time low in more than three years. In addition, applications for SSDI benefits have continued to stabilize. While this seems like great news for individuals who suffer from disabilities, we must dig deeper in order to understand the true meaning behind these figures.
Representative Allen West has been known to say some outlandish things in the past, but his most recent comment that has left millions reeling with awe has to do with Social Security Disability benefits. According to West, it appears that Social Security Disability is a form of “slavery”. Why is it a form of slavery according to West? Because it creates economic dependence on the government.
Some disabilities are readily apparent to the untrained eye. Others, however, are not so visible. Many people who seem perfectly “normal” can suffer from debilitating disabilities that make it nearly impossible to work. These people often suffer in silence, with very few understanding the nature or extent of their condition. Such is the nature of mental illness. Fortunately, many of the people who suffer from mental illnesses can qualify for Social Security Disability benefits if their condition prevents them from maintaining full-time work activity.
It is no secret that approval and denial rates vary from one administrative law judge to another in the Social Security Administration (SSA). Not too long ago there was commotion involving an administrative law judge who had a recent approval rate of nearly 100 percent. There are, however, situations in which an administrative law judge leans towards the other end of the spectrum with extremely high denial rates, as is the case with one administrative law judge hearing Social Security Disability cases in Richmond, Virginia.
