Over half of initial SSDI applications are denied, but having a clear roadmap can dramatically improve your odds. Discover the essential steps of the SSD application process and learn how expert representation can make the journey easier and more successful.

Misconceptions about Social Security Disability can prevent qualified applicants from receiving the support they deserve. We debunk common SSD myths, clarify eligibility criteria, and help you navigate the path to securing your benefits with confidence.

The Social Security Administration uses specific guidelines known as “grid rules” to evaluate SSDI eligibility based on age, education, work history, and physical limitations. Learn how understanding these rules can significantly strengthen your disability claim.

Did you know that over half of SSDI applications are rejected on the first try? If you’re considering applying for disability benefits, having a clear plan can significantly improve your odds of success. Navigating the application process can feel daunting, but understanding each step can make it less overwhelming.

A Social Security Disability (SSD) hearing is an opportunity for individuals who have had their disability claims denied to present their case to an Administrative Law Judge. During the hearing, you can provide more details about your condition, submit new evidence, and have witnesses speak on your behalf. 

When pursuing a Social Security Disability (SSD) claim, the significance of medical records cannot be overstated. These documents are the bedrock upon which the Social Security Administration (SSA) builds its understanding of your condition and its impact on your ability to work.

Misinformation spreads rapidly, and it is crucial to separate fact from fiction, especially when it comes to something as important as Social Security. Michael Hiltzik, Business Columnist for the Los Angeles Times, recently tackled this issue in his important column, “An Exhaustive Debunking of the Dumbest Myths About Social Security.”

There are a variety of ways to establish disability within the guidelines set forth by the Social Security Administration. Terminal diseases and complete blindness often have quicker turnaround times due to the severity of conditions and general obviousness that such illnesses will not allow an individual to work.

Applying for disability benefits through the Social Security Administration (SSA) can be a long and sometimes frustrating process. When you’re already grappling with a disability, the last thing you want is a denial from the SSA that further complicates your life.

It’s easy to see why a representative would be necessary when applying for disability. In the early stages, the state disability agencies seem to be gunning to deny as many cases as possible. It feels like a race to the bottom, where in all outcomes you’ll be in last place.

The delays in processing Social Security cases are astonishing.  According to a recent article, as of March 2023, there are 1 million people who have filed applications for Social Security whose cases are pending.  The last time the delays were this bad was in 2010.

Is having cancer an automatically disabling condition for Social Security Disability? Our answer is simple but it requires a lengthy explanation.  The answer is No – Cancer is not an automatic disabling condition.  But let me explain. The problem with this question is that we have learned that cancer is not a simple disease. 

I speak to unrepresented disabled people every day who were just denied disability by the Social Security Administration. Talking to them, I realize that most do not have any understanding as to how Social Security makes a disability determination or how the sequential evaluation process works. 

To apply for Social Security Disability – and this is the difference between Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability (SSD) – one must be insured. Insurance in Social Security is similar to having insurance on your car. If you have insurance and get into a car accident, you are covered.

There is an old joke in the real estate world that goes “how do you evaluate property?” The answer is, “There are three things that matter: Location, location, location.” In Social Security Disability, there are three things that matter:

Court hearings have changed dramatically since I first started doing them decades ago. In those days, your hearing was conducted in hearing offices called the Office of Hearings and Appeal, a name changed at great cost and for no purpose a number of times since.

I recently received a decision on a case we have worked on for some time. My unfortunate client has Huntington’s disease. Huntington’s is a hereditary disorder that first incapacitates and then causes death.

While the long-term effects of having had Covid-19 are still being discovered, new research shows the health consequences are more problematic and impactful then once thought. Nowhere is this more apparent than with mental health.

The Judge The most important person at the hearing (besides you, of course) is the Administrative Law Judge or ALJ.  After all, he or she will be the one deciding if you win your case at this stage, or if you have to move on to yet another appeal.