We Have The Answers To Common Questions Regarding Social Security And Veterans’ Disability Benefits

The Social Security Administration (SSA) offers an extended period of eligibility that could help you if you have received Social Security disability benefits and then go back to work. During the extended period of eligibility, you may be able to collect your Social Security disability income in a given month if your income is less than the amount that the SSA has established for the substantial gainful activity (SGA). In 2017, the SGA was $1,170 per month for Social Security disability recipients who did not qualify on the basis of blindness. Social Security disability recipients who are blind can earn up to $1,950 month according to the 2017 SGA guidelines.

Do You Qualify?

The extended period of eligibility does not go on forever. Instead, you may qualify for Social Security disability benefits pursuant to the extended period of eligibility in any of the 36 consecutive months after your trial work period ends. Benefits are determined on a month-to-month basis depending on whether you were able to earn the SGA in that month.

After the extended period of eligibility (or even during that time), you may be able to apply for expedited reinstatement of your Social Security disability benefits if you meet the requirements outlined by the SSA. An expedited reinstatement of benefits may allow you to start receiving benefits again without filing a new application. Additionally, the SSA can provide you temporary benefits for up to six months while the agency decides on your expedited reinstatement request.

Don’t Be Afraid to Try Going Back to Work

Instead, understand your legal options if, at some point in the future, you are unable to work again due to your disability. To learn more tips about protecting your Social Security disability income, watch our free videos and peruse our extensive library of articles.

It can be frustrating to have a serious brain disorder such as epilepsy and to have your application for Social Security disability benefits denied. Before you decide what to do next, however, it is important to understand why your application was denied and whether you have a good chance of having that decision reversed should you apply for reconsideration or appeal.

Five Things to Consider Before Deciding Whether You Should Appeal

As you decide what to do next, think about whether you provided the Social Security Administration all of the information that it needed to make an accurate determination, such as:

• Complete medical records including your doctor’s diagnosis, a description of your seizures, the results of an EEG, and your treatment history that includes the specific medications that you have taken and the dates that you have taken them.
• Evidence that you have taken the medication as prescribed. This may include blood tests to confirm that you’ve taken the prescription drugs and other information that documents that you took the medication according to your doctor’s instructions and stayed away from alcohol and drugs while on the medication.
• Descriptions of your seizures from third party witnesses who may have seen them.
• Information about your work history.
• Complete biographical information as required on the SSA’s Social Security disability application.

If any of this information was missing or incorrect when you first filed for Social Security disability, you should consider an appeal.

Don’t Appeal Alone

You have the right to work with a Social Security disability lawyer when submitting an initial application or when appealing a denial of benefits. For more information on your rights and on protecting your right to appeal, please read our FREE report, Social Security Disability: What You Need to Know or contact us using our live chat to discuss your specific situation.

Disability Determination Services (DDS) is part of the Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services. While you did not file your Social Security disability claim with DDS, it may play a significant role in the outcome of your Social Security disability claim.

Here’s Why

DDS is a state office, but it is funded by the Social Security Administration (SSA). The Texas office is charged with making determinations about Social Security disability claims for Texans who make such claims with the SSA. DDS receives Social Security disability applications that individuals file with the SSA, assesses the disability claims, and approves or denies the claims. Once DDS has made a decision, the office returns the applications to the SSA, which makes the final decision regarding disability.

What This Means to You

It is important to understand who is involved in deciding your Social Security disability claim. However, this information does not change how you apply for benefits; you should still submit your application directly to the Social Security Administration. If you have questions about the status of your claim, you or your attorney may need to contact DDS during the review process.

The process is the same for all Texans, whether you live in Fort Worth, North Richard Hills, or another city or town in the state. If you have any questions about this process or need help with the Social Security disability claims process, please fill out our online contact form or start an online chat with us today.

The Blue Book contains a list of impairments and the accompanying criteria that the Social Security Administration (SSA) uses to determine whether an applicant is disabled for the purposes of obtaining Social Security disability benefits. While many diseases, illnesses, and injuries are included in the Blue Book, the SSA recognizes that it would be impossible to include every potentially disabling illness or condition. Therefore, you may be able to obtain Social Security disability benefits even if your medical condition or injury is not specifically listed in the Blue Book.

When Your Condition Isn’t Listed

If your condition is not included in the Blue Book, you need to make sure that you can convince the SSA that you meet the Social Security disability eligibility criteria. In other words, you need to establish the following:

• You have a medical condition or illness that has been diagnosed by a doctor and that is expected to last for more than one year or result in your death.
• Your medical condition or illness prevents you from doing work of any kind.
• You have paid into the Social Security system and are now eligible for Social Security disability benefits.

You don’t have to do this alone. Instead, you have the right to work with a Social Security disability lawyer to get the benefits that you deserve if you suffer from a disabling condition in Duncanville, Cedar Hill, or elsewhere in the Dallas or Houston area. To learn more, please complete our online contact form or call us directly to schedule a free consultation.

The answer is maybe. Your eligibility will depend on how your heart attack has impacted your life, whether you have medical clearance to work, and whether your disability and inability to work is considered long term or permanent.

Proving That You Are Eligible

In order to establish that you are eligible for Social Security disability benefits, you must prove to the Social Security Administration (SSA) that:

• You have a medical condition that is expected to last one year or more or to result in death
• The medical condition prevents you from working
• You have satisfied the earnings requirement to obtain Social Security disability benefit payments

If you fail to prove one or more of the elements described above, you should expect the SSA to deny your Social Security disability claim. Then, you will need to determine whether your claim was denied because you are ineligible for benefits or whether your application contained an error. If you are eligible for benefits, but your application didn’t contain enough information to convince the SSA that you are unable to work, you may be a good candidate to successfully appeal the decision.

It Could Be Worth the Fight

It isn’t easy to establish your eligibility for Social Security disability benefits. The SSA denies approximately two out of every three new applicants. However, if you believe that you are eligible for Social Security disability because of your heart condition, it is worth fighting for your fair benefits.

To learn more about how to do that, please read our FREE Social Security Disability Fact Sheet or start a live chat with us at any time.

No. It is, quite simply, not your doctor’s job to apply for Social Security disability benefits on your behalf—even if he has determined that you are disabled. Social Security disability applications are complicated, and the Social Security Administration (SSA) requires that each application be completed in full and with no errors. It is not as simple as a doctor saying that you have a spinal cord injury and are being treated in Fort Worth or you have cancer and are being treated at Texas Medical Center in Houston.

Just Because the Doctor Can’t Do it For You Doesn’t Mean You Have to Do It Alone

If you are thinking about filing a Social Security disability claim, you are completely disabled, you are unable to work, and you may be facing your own mortality. The last thing that you want to do is to spend your time navigating the application process. Fortunately, you do not have to do this on your own. You have the right to consult with and hire a Social Security disability lawyer who has experience filing successful Social Security disability claims. Your attorney can submit the application for you, making sure that the SSA has all of the information that it needs to make a timely determination about your claim, while you concentrate on your health.

Want to Know More About Your Rights?

Please read our FREE report, Social Security Disability: What You Need to Know, and start a free, online chat with us to get your specific questions answered.

If you suffer from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, also known as COPD, you know how difficult it can be to work. When breathing is impaired, working at your job at Lockheed Martin in Fort Worth, Texas, may be next to impossible. Fortunately, the Social Security Administration recognizes COPD as a disability and will grant benefits to some applicants. If you do not qualify based on the criteria for the listing for this condition, you can still qualify if you are able to demonstrate that COPD makes it so that you cannot work to earn a living.

Qualifying for Disability Benefits

To determine whether you might be eligible for benefits even though you do not meet the criteria under the listing for COPD, ask yourself the following questions:

1. Does your COPD reduce your ability to breathe?
2. Does your reduction in ability to breathe make it so that you cannot carry out the functions of any type of job?
3. Does your reduced breathing capacity make it so that there are no jobs that you know how to do, given your age, education, and experience level?

If the answer is yes, you may qualify for disability benefits based on your reduced capacity for work caused by COPD. Your next steps should be as follows:

1. Contact your health care provider.
2. Ask your doctor to provide the Social Security Administration with a medical opinion as to what kinds of activities you can and cannot do. For example, if you cannot be exposed to dust or fumes, your doctor should state that in his opinion.
3. Submit to a residual functional capacity assessment when instructed by the Social Security Administration to do so. This analysis uses your test results and your doctor’s stated restrictions to determine what types of activities you are capable of performing, ranging from sedentary work to heavy work.

Depending on the results of the residual functional capacity assessment, the Social Security Administration may determine that you are unable to work and approve your request for benefits.

If you would like to learn more about how you might be able to qualify for Social Security disability benefits, we strongly encourage you to contact us today. We have been helping clients just like you for many years. Learn about it yourself by reading the many client testimonials on our website!

If you suffer from a benign brain tumor that affects your ability to work at your job at Texas Instruments in Dallas and to function in general, you may qualify for Social Security disability benefits. There are generally three ways in which to qualify for these benefits. The first option is to show that you meet the specific “Blue Book” listing for a brain tumor outlined by the Social Security Administration. The second option is to show that you equal another listing outlined by the Social Security Administration. The last option is to prove that you are unable to work because of the condition.

Meeting the Benign Brain Tumor Listing

Benign brain tumors are a specific listing under the Social Security Administration’s Blue Book. In order to qualify for disability benefits, however, you must show that you meet the impairment requirements for additional listings as well. These additional listing include seizures, strokes, speech problems, loss of hearing, or mental disorders. To prove that your benign brain tumor symptoms are accompanied by seizures, you must demonstrate that the seizures significantly impact your ability to function. To prove that your benign brain tumor symptoms also meet the requirements for a stroke under the Blue Book listing, you must show that you have had a stroke that now affects your ability to talk, walk, or use your arms.

In order to qualify for Social Security disability benefits, you should first obtain a diagnosis from your physician verifying that you suffer from a benign brain tumor. You should then contact an attorney who can walk you through the disability application process.

Do you have questions right now? We encourage you to download our free guide, Social Security Disability: What You Need to Know.

If you are suffering from eczema, you may find it difficult to work or carry out basic daily activities. Eczema causes inflamed, itchy, and irritated skin that can occur anywhere on the body. It is most common on the hands, feet, face, and back of the knees. Sufferers may qualify for Social Security disability benefits automatically if they can demonstrate that they meet the requirements set forth in the Social Security Administration’s disability listing for dermatitis.

Qualifying for Social Security Disability Benefits Due to Eczema

In order to automatically qualify for benefits from the office of the Social Security Administration, you must meet certain criteria. The following is an overview of what you must show when you file your claim:

1. A diagnosis of eczema by a licensed physician.
2. The type of eczema diagnosed must be accompanied by extensive skin lesions.
3. Extensive skin lesions must either cover an area of the body needed to function, such as the palms of the hands,
4. or cover multiple less significant areas of the body. Examples would be the elbows and the face.
5. Extensive skin lesions must also cause serious limitations.
6. The extensive skin lesions must last for at least three months.
7. The extensive skin lesions must not be responding to any prescribed treatment.

Before submitting your claim for Social Security disability benefits, we encourage you to view our free guide, Social Security Disability: What You Need to Know. We invite you to share this guide with your friends and family on Facebook!

Unlike some other diseases and conditions giving rise to a disability, lupus is a chronic disease that causes harm to your body over a period of time. Lupus is an autoimmune disease that causes the body to attack itself. It can cause damage to your joints, skin, kidneys, blood, heart, and lungs. As a result of its chronic nature, it could be the case that your limitations have increased to the extent where you will now qualify for Social Security disability benefits, even if you were denied in the past.

How to Appeal a Social Security Disability Benefits Denial

So what should you do if you find yourself with an increasing inability to function as a result of lupus, but were denied Social Security disability benefits in the past? Consider taking the following steps:

• Consult with a knowledgeable and experienced attorney familiar with the complex rules and requirements for obtaining Social Security disability benefits.
• Determine whether you meet the listing requirements for lupus. Lupus is one of the diseases that is specifically listed in Social Security’s listing of impairments. As a result, if you meet the requirements, you may qualify for benefits.
• Assess whether you are no longer able to work due to impairments created by lupus. This may include evaluating the physical, mental, and sensory limitations brought on by the condition.
• Gather the medical evidence required to meet the lupus listing under Social Security’s listing of impairments. This includes obtaining updated medical information. Eleven criteria are set forth to determine whether an individual has lupus. You must meet at least four of those criteria.
• Complete the appeal forms provided by the nearest Texas Social Security disability field office.
• Call SSA to follow up.

If you suffer from a debilitating chronic condition like lupus, do not give up on your pursuit for Social Security disability benefits. To further prepare yourself for the appeals process, we encourage you to view our free guide, Social Security Disability: What You Need to Know.