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Apply for SSI online
Social Security Disability Application Process Now Online
If your disabling condition makes it hard for you to drive or arrange transportation to your local Social Security office, there is some good news from the Social Security Administration. You’re now able to complete and submit your application for Social Security disability benefits from the privacy of your own home computer.
The amount of time the process takes to make a decision on your application can vary depending on a number of factors, such as:
• the nature of the disability;
• how quickly medical records are obtained from your doctors, hospitals, or other medical sources; and
• whether the SSA needs to send you for a medical examination in order to obtain evidence to support your claim.
There are several ways that the service can be sped up. In some cases, a new project known as the Compassionate Allowances initiative allows the SSA to fast-track cases involving people with very severe. Some 165 different types of disabilities qualify for this expedited decision, and that list continues to grow. To read more about the Compassionate Allowances initiative, visit www.socialsecurity.gov/compassionateallowances.
Another way to speed things up involves the Quick Disability Determinations initiative, which uses technology to identify claimants who have the most severe disabilities and then encourages the SSA to expedite those cases.
The SSA also gives claimants a list of things they can do to help speed the process along. The most important is that the more information an applicant provides in the beginning, the less time will be wasted with additional requests. Applicants should make sure to provide the following information initially:
• all medical records or documentation you have;
• the names, addresses, and phone numbers for any doctors, hospitals, medical facilities, treatment centers, or providers related to your disabling condition; and
• the names, addresses, and phone numbers for recent employers and the dates worked for each employer.
If you think you may be entitled to Social Security Disability benefits and have questions, call The Law Offices of John Nicholson at 1-800-596-1533 for a free consultation today.
Source: http://www.ssa.gov/pgm/disability.htm
Posted in Social Security SSD/SSI
Tagged application process, centerville ohio attorney, cleveland disability law firm, disability, how long does the process take, how long is the wait in cleveland for disability, how long of wait is it for disability, how to apply, how to speed the process up, medical records, online, SSA, where to apply
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Can I receive SSI for my spinal stenosis and back pain?
Spinal Stenosis and SSDI benefits
Spinal stenosis is the term for the narrowing of the spinal column that causes pressure on the spinal cord, or narrowing of the openings where spinal nerves leave the spinal column. If the narrowing progresses to the point that the nerves passing through these areas are compressed, this compression can cause severe pain. Spinal stenosis usually occurs as a person ages and the spinal disks become drier and start to bulge. Spinal stenosis may also be caused by arthritis of the spine, bone diseases, congenital birth defects, herniated or slipped disks, severe injuries or even tumors on the spine.
Typically, stenosis symptoms get worse over time and, while they often start by affecting only one side of the body or the other, they can grow to encompass both sides. These symptoms include: numbness, cramping, pain in the back, buttocks, thighs, calves, neck, shoulders, or arms, weakness of part of a leg or arm. Symptoms are more likely to be present or get worse when you stand or walk. They will often lessen or even totally disappear when you sit down. It for this reason that most people with spinal stenosis cannot walk for a long period of time.
Spinal stenosis can be treated with anti-inflammatory medications and pain medications, some of which specifically target nerve pain. Physical therapy and cortisone injections can also be prescribed. In some cases, surgery might be recommended to remove the bony tissue that is compressing the nerves.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) discusses Disorders of the Spine, including spinal stenosis, under Section 1.04 of the Blue Book. In order to meet or medically equal listing 1.04 with respect to obtaining Social Security Disability benefits, your medical records might show the following:
• You must be diagnosed with spinal stenosis.
• Your records must show that your condition has caused nerve root compression and that this compression has resulted in pain, limited range of motion of the spine, and muscle weakness. The SSA will require a straight-leg raising test to prove this.
• You must also demonstrate evidence of pseudoclaudication (leg pain that becomes worse with walking) that is severe enough that it results in an inability to effectively walk, and should include the results of all imaging studies (meaning, an MRI or CT scan).
It’s important that your medical records also document the precise treatments you have received and your reaction to those treatments. It’s critical that your doctor make sure to list all limitations spinal stenosis has caused in your everyday life, further demonstrating the need for disability benefits.
If you think you may be entitled to Social Security Disability benefits and have questions, call The Law Offices of John T. Nicholson at 1-800-596-1533 for a free consultation today.
Posted in Social Security SSD/SSI
Tagged arthritis, back injury and disability, dayton ohio disability lawyer, herniated disk, limited range of motion, lumbar stenosis, muscle weakness, neck pain, nerve damage, nerve pain, numb arm, numbness in leg, pain, pain in thighs, pain standing, root compression, spinal compression, spinal stenosis, trouble walking, troy ohio social security back attorney
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How much does SSI pay per month?
How much will your Supplemental Security Income (SSI) checks pay each month? Well, it varies as some states award additional income to the base amounts listed below. That being said, here are the amounts for 2012. Keep in mind that these amounts change each year in conjunction with the cost of living adjustment (COLA).
Social Security Administration SSI payout amounts for 2012:
| Recipient | Unrounded annual amounts for— | Monthly amounts for 2012 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 2012 a | ||
| Eligible individual | $8,095.32 | $8,386.75 | $698 |
| Eligible couple | 12,141.61 | 12,578.71 | 1,048 |
| Essential person | 4,056.93 | 4,202.98 | 350 |
| a The unrounded amounts for 2012 equal the unrounded amounts for 2011 increased by 3.6 percent. | |||
Payment reduction
Remember, these payouts are lowered depending on your countable income each year. If you are thinking of applying for disability benefits click for a free consultation or call 1-800-596-1533.
How much does SSI pay per month?
How much will your Supplemental Security Income (SSI) checks pay each month? Well, it varies as some states award additional income to the base amounts listed below. That being said, here are the amounts for 2012. Keep in mind that these amounts change each year in conjunction with the cost of living adjustment (COLA).
Social Security Administration SSI payout amounts for 2012:
| Recipient | Unrounded annual amounts for— | Monthly amounts for 2012 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 2012 a | ||
| Eligible individual | $8,095.32 | $8,386.75 | $698 |
| Eligible couple | 12,141.61 | 12,578.71 | 1,048 |
| Essential person | 4,056.93 | 4,202.98 | 350 |
| a The unrounded amounts for 2012 equal the unrounded amounts for 2011 increased by 3.6 percent. | |||
Payment reduction
Remember, these payouts are lowered depending on your countable income each year. If you are thinking of applying for disability benefits click for a free consultation or call 1-800-596-1533.
Can I get both worker’s compensation and Social Security disability benefits?
Can I get both worker’s compensation and Social Security disability benefits?
Workers’ compensation pays benefits to employees who suffer an injury at work or experience a work-related illness. Benefits for workers’ compensation include medical treatment and money for the partial replacement of lost wages. For an employee who cannot work while recovering from an injury or work-related illness, workers’ compensation can pay temporary total disability benefits. In cases in which the injury or work-related illness has long-term or permanent consequences, an employee can receive permanent disability benefits. When an employee dies as the result of an injury or work-related illness, then the employee’s dependents can receive survivor benefits. In general, workers’ compensation is a program run by state governments.
Similarly, Social Security Disability Insurance (“SSDI”) provides benefits to insured workers with disabilities, or in other words, to those who: (1) have been employed for at least five of the last ten years; (2) have paid FICA (“Federal Insurance Contributions Act”) taxes; and (3) have a “disability” as the Social Security Administration defines the term. A disability, for purposes of Social Security, is a serious medical condition that lasts (or has lasted) for more than a year and prevents someone from being gainfully employed. In addition, SSDI will provide benefits to the disabled children of insured workers, so long as the children became disabled before they reached the age of 22, as well as to the disabled surviving spouses of insured workers who have died. Generally, SSDI is administered by the federal government.
A person can receive workers’ compensation and SSDI benefits at the same time, but workers’ compensation benefits might reduce the amount of SSDI benefits. Under the Social Security Administration’s rules, a person who receives workers’ compensation benefits and Social Security disability benefits at the same time may not receive combined benefits that amount to more than 80 percent of the person’s average current earnings before the person became disabled. For example, if a person earned $4,000.00 per month before becoming disabled, then the person would be eligible to receive $2,200.00 per month in SSDI benefits after becoming disabled. If that same person were also to receive $2,000.00 per month in benefits from workers’ compensation, then the person’s SSDI benefits would be reduced to $200.00 per month to comply with the Social Security Administration’s 80 percent rule.
If you have a current or potential worker’s compensation claim and are interested in applying for SSDI benefits, or if you simply want to be sure that you are receiving the maximum SSDI benefits for which you are eligible, then you should consider speaking with an attorney who has experience with Social Security law in order to minimize the off-set. Call the Nationwide Law Offices of John T. Nicholson at 1-800-596-1533 for a free consultation today.
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