The Social Security Administration’s website has a list of Best Practices for Claimant’s Representatives, which was significantly updated last November.
The best practices are organized into categories:
This list of best practices is required
Ascites, which is fluid build-up in the abdomen, can occur when pressure builds up in the veins of the liver and the liver doesn’t function as it should. The most common cause of ascites is cirrhosis of the liver. The abdominal fluid can be drained periodically by a procedure called paracentesis. Patients with
When deciding a disability claim, the Social Security Administration looks at whether an individual is able to perform the duties of a job at steps 4 and 5 of the sequential evaluation. Social Security does not consider whether an individual would be hired for that job.
Social Security’s regulations directly address this issue.
From time to time I ask certain clients to keep a journal to keep track of their symptoms. For people with symptoms that are variable day to day, a journal can be be a good tool to quantify how often the symptoms are severe.
Every case is different, and everyone’s symptoms are different. So a
It is Veterans Day.
The Social Security offices are closed today, as is our office.
For a side-by-side comparison of the Social Security disability and Veterans Affairs disability programs, check out this fact sheet.
At the hearing level, the SSA adds to the disability claim file a document called the “Detailed Earnings Query,” or DEQY. The DEQY lists all the employers that have paid wages (and the amount of annual wages paid), during the past 15 years. Fifteen years is the time frame for past relevant work for Step 4 of the sequential evaluation of a Social Security disability claim.
When past relevant work is critical to a claim (Social Security disability claimants over the age of 55 suffering from physical impairments, in particular), a Representative needs to look very carefully at the DEQY, so that all past relevant work can be properly classified and evaluated.
Let me give an example, one that turned out fine but could have been a disaster.Continue Reading Look at the DEQY
When I prepare a client for a hearing, I always urge the client to provide specific examples of functional limitations…. better than blanket statements.
I have learned over the years that the more time I spend with the client, the better I am able to tease out these stories. I have long felt that they
Why does an administrative judge request a review by a vocational expert of the jobs from a claimant’s work record?
It means that the administrative law judge (ALJ) is considering whether or not you can return to your past relevant work at step 4 of Social Security’s sequential evaluation process. After the vocational expert
Back in the day, the vast majority of granted Social Security disability claims were decided by Social Security’s listed impairments, which set forth medical criteria of a condition that is presumed to be disabling at step 3 of the sequential evaluation. Today, however, the majority of allowed claims are determined based upon medical-vocational
The frequency of your medical treatment is an important factor in your Social Security disability claim. A diagnosis is a first step, but a judge must evaluate your functional limitations due to your medical condition. And when evaluating the seriousness of your functional limitations, regular doctor visits are helpful. Looking at the cases of mine