Social Security Administration

SSA Field Offices Reopening

social-security-administration-building

After SSA field offices were forced to close for nearly two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there are plans to reopen offices for in-person consultations as soon as possible. The federal agency has reached an agreement with its labor unions to bring 45,000 SSA employees back to its field offices in April.  This follows…

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SSA Hiring Freeze May Contribute to Increased Backlog in Disability Cases

stacks of paperwork

The Social Security Administration recently announced a hiring freeze, which could increase the backlog in Social Security Disability cases. Andrew Saul, the new SSA Commissioner, announced the freeze on July 31, and the notice stated the freeze was enacted in an effort to help improve hearings and field office wait times. The freeze affects all…

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Potential Social Security Reforms on the Horizon

Social Security Cards

Recently Congressman John Larson of Connecticut reintroduced a bill to increase Social Security benefits in the future. The Social Security 2100 Act would expand Social Security benefits, while extending future program solvency. There are both proponents and critics of the bill. Let’s take a closer look, and explore how this could impact Social Security Disability…

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SSA Targeting Young Adults with Illnesses, Stopping Benefits to Save Money

young woman sick in bed

Could you imagine having a serious, chronic illness and relying on Social Security Disability benefits for your necessary medical treatments, only to have your benefits abruptly stopped, when your condition is getting worse? This is what unfortunately happened to a 22-year-old woman diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis, an incurable disease that causes serious lung damage. She…

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Lives in the Balance: Doctors Paid for Quantity of SSD Case Reviews, Not Quality

Doctor reviewing documents

An investigation recently uncovered highly disturbing findings that doctors in Tennessee were paid for the quantity of federal disability program applications they reviewed, a system that creates a blatant disregard for proper procedure and attentiveness, and instead rewards efficiency motivated by greed. These doctors would hastily review disability cases, denying a majority of likely viable…

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SSA Budget Cuts: Thousands of SSD Applicants Died While Waiting for Hearings

Middle aged woman sitting on bed, looking upset

Congressional budget cuts to the Social Security Administration (SSA) over the course of the past eight years have forced the SSA to reduce staff, leading to long wait times and delays in resolving benefit issues. The impacts of the budget cuts are felt sharply by disabled and retired Americans who depend on these benefits to…

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Oregon Couple Claims SSA Seeks Repayment of Benefits

Disabled man stressed out after SSD benefits were denied.

An older Oregon couple—he with a degenerative muscle disease and she with a rare form of cancer—claim they are now entangled in a battle with the Social Security Administration (SSA) as they battle for their lives. A detailed article on the couple’s claims is available here. Last year, the SSA sent the couple a letter…

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The Top 5 Questions the Social Security Administration Looks at When Determining if Someone is Disabled

collage of man in wheel chair, disability form and social security card

When applying for Social Security Disability (SSD) many get overwhelmed by the complexity of the paperwork and the time it takes to wade through it. Millions of Americans apply for disability benefits each year and many get denied the first time around. Most ask the question, “How does the Social Security Administration decide If I…

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Top 5 Things You Need to Know to Increase Your Chances for SSD Application Approval

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Do you suffer from an injury or illness that prevents you from working like you did before or this injury keeps you from adjusting to a new line of work? Are you worried about your eligibility of qualifying for Social Security Disability benefits? If so, chances are you are not alone. The Social Security Administration…

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Top 3 Ways Veterans and Social Security Disability Applicants Can Start the 2017 New Year in Michigan

Veterans standing next to each other at event, smiling for a photo

When a new year starts, we all make resolutions. We set goals and think of ways we can improve our health and our financial security. A year from now, we want to look back on 2017 with a feeling of satisfaction, knowing we did the best we could do. If you suffer from a disability,…

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