After a Social Security denial, a formal hearing request must be filed to put your case in line to be heard by an Administrative Law Judge. The problem is that hearings in the Albany, NY area usually take between 8-12 months to be scheduled. The Social Security Administration has defined a dire need situation which [...]
GAF Scores And Social Security Disability
July 10, 2012 Leave a Comment
If you have a pending Social Security Disability claim and a portion of your claimed disability is from a psychological condition, a GAF assessment may benefit your case. GAF stands for Global Assessment of Functioning and is a numerical value arrived at by your mental health provider. GAF scores range from 0 to 100; the [...]
Can My Social Security Disability Check Be Garnished?
July 6, 2012 Leave a Comment
Even if a wage garnishment order has been filed against you, your Social Security Disability check is exempt from garnishment. This is regardless of whether or not the Court has issued such an order. There is one exception to this rule and that is that only the federal government may garnish a portion of your [...]
The Importance Of Mental Health Professionals In Your Social Security Claim
June 19, 2012 Leave a Comment
In my Social Security Disability practice in Upstate New York, it is common for claimant’s to have both physical and psychological conditions. Many times, a primary care physician treats and prescribes medications for both the physical and psychological aliments. While a medical doctor can prescribe certain medications for mental illnesses, we strongly recommend that our [...]
What Types Of Benefits Result In A Social Security Offset?
May 3, 2012 Leave a Comment
In general terms, disability benefits which a claimant receives under a Federal or State program can be used in calculating a Social Security offset. This means that if such public disability benefits are being paid, it is possible that the amount of a Social Security benefit could be reduced. Private pension payments or private disability [...]
Social Security Disability And Migraine Headaches
May 1, 2012 Leave a Comment
If you have been diagnosed with migraine headaches that prevent you from performing full time work you may qualify for Social Security Disability benefits. Whether or not this medical condition will result in a favorable decision depends on many factors including the severity of the headaches along with the frequency and duration of the migraine. [...]
Compassionate Allowances In Social Security Disability Claims
April 26, 2012 Leave a Comment
The compassionate allowance program was instituted so that the Social Security Administration could target specific medical conditions for approval of disability benefits. The list continues to grow and now includes conditions such as: Early onset Alzheimer’s disease; Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis; Mixed dementia; Small cell lung cancer; If your claim is based on one of the [...]
Under Age 50 And Claiming Social Security Disability?
April 19, 2012 Leave a Comment
If you are under age 50 and are contending that you are disabled for Social Security purposes, you will have to demonstrate very significant limitations to win your case. You are classified as a “younger individual” when you are under the age of 50. In most cases, if the Judge believes you can do sedentary [...]
Your Ability To Work With Anxiety And Depression
January 27, 2012 Leave a Comment
A large percentage of Social Security claims either are based on or include a diagnosis of anxiety and/or depression. This means that the Social Security Administration is very familiar with the medical components of these conditions. The simple fact that you have been diagnosed with anxiety and depression will not automatically mean that you will [...]
Medical Opinions In Social Security Cases
November 19, 2011 Leave a Comment
Social Security Judges are asked to consider many opinions when evaluating a claimant’s disability status. However, not all opinions are acceptable medical sources. Medical doctors or doctor of osteopathic medicine are acceptable medical sources. Psychologists, podiatrist, and optometrist are also acceptable medical sources. Other practitioners such as chiropractors, nurse practitioners, and physical therapists do not [...]
