October 2009 - Social Security Disability | Expert Help

When I talk about the disability claims process, one of the most important things I can do for folks needing help during this difficult time is to make sure they know what to expect. This is especially true when it comes to the amount of time it could take from initial filing to a favorable decision.

When Georgia Congressman John Lewis set reduction of SSA’s disability case backlog as one of his top priorities, the Atlanta North processing time for claims was the worst in the country at 828 days, and in Atlanta proper it was 750 days. He noted that “people are waiting years for benefits they deserve, some are even dying while waiting. This is simply wrong…Somehow the richest, most powerful nation in the world must find a way to meet the needs of these Americans. They have suffered enough. They should not suffer at the hands of their government.”

Mr. Lewis testified before the Budget Committee, and urged his colleagues on the House Ways and Means Committee to give SSA the funds needed to hire more Administrative Law Judges and disability claims staff.

Last month, Social Security Commissioner Michael Astrue announced that for the first time in a decade, the agency ended its fiscal year with fewer pending disability hearings than in the previous year. It closed FY 2009 with 722,822 pending hearings – a reduction of more than 37,000 cases from its 760,813 hearings pending at the start of the fiscal year. Processing time for cases also improved over the same period, dropping from an average of 514 days in FY 2008 to 491 days in FY 2009.

“Our backlog reduction plan is working, and progress is accelerating,” Commissioner Astrue said. “Even in the face of a significant increase in our workloads as a result of the worst recession since the Great Depression, we have reduced the hearings backlog for nine consecutive months. Thanks to the efforts of thousands of hardworking Social Security employees and the additional funding we received from President Obama and the Congress, we have exceeded our backlog reduction goal for this year.” Click on the link to see SSA’s recent news release discussing these developments. Continue reading →

As I have discussed extensively on this blog and on my web sites, the ultimate question in any Social Security disability case boils down to this – would you be able to perform reliably a simple, entry-level job 8 hours a day, 5 days a week?

This question concerns itself with your capacity to perform work or work-like activities. Other factors like the job prospects in your town, your transportation issues, etc. are not relevant. As I tell my clients – imagine that a chaueffer driven limo will pick you up each morning and take you home each night – can you reliably fulfill the demands of an entry level job?

Far too often, disability claimants hurt their chances greatly by giving the “wrong” answer to this ultimate question. In a future post I’ll print out some examples of “good” answers to this question but today I want to focus on the wrong way to answer.

My colleague, Dallas disability attorney Stan Denman has graciously allowed me to reprint his take on this topic, which I think should be essential reading for all disability claimants and their lawyers. As a claimant you must take the time to understand how the disability process works and what the judge needs to hear. If you get the answer to this “ultimate” question wrong, you will not be approved.

Here are Stan’s Five “Case Killers,” in no particular order:

Top Five Bad Answers to Question: WHY CAN’T YOU WORK?

In no particular order of “badness”, here are the top five”case killing” responses to the Administrative Law Judge Question: “Why can’t you work?”

1. “I can’t find a job. No one will hire me with my medical background”

The ALJ wants to know why you think you can’t work. Implicit in this answer is a belief by the claimant that she can work, and that the problem is not being able to get a job. Social Security Disability benefits are intended to protect workers who cannot work due to a mental or physical condition. There are not intended to address the difficulites of finding a job.

2. “My long-term disability insurance company told me to file for social security disability”

This can be an easy mistake to make. Again, the ALJ wantsto know why you think you cannot work. Most long-term disability carriers require those that are on claim for long-term disability benefits to file for social security disability, because the insurance company can reduce the monthly benefit they pay in the amount of the social security disability benefit. So it is true that most LTD recepients may file at the suggestion of their insurance company. But this answer makes you look like the insurance company is leading you around by the nose, motivated not by a belief that you are in fact disabled but rather simply going along with the insurance company. Continue reading →

Ginsberg Law Offices

Month: October 2009