One of the topics that is almost always covered in a Social Security disability hearing is the claimant's activities of daily living, or ADLs. Typically, you will describe what you do from morning until night on an average day. ALJs listen to this testimony with an ear for inconsistencies. So for example if
Disability Blog Roundup for Friday – 10/13
New and notable from the Social Security disability blogs this week:
- Onset Dates, Consultative Exams and Cynical Judges from the Social Security Disability Blog moderated by Jonathan Ginsberg
- The Day of Your Social Security Disability Administrative Law Judge Hearing from the the Delaware Disability Law blog published by Steven Butler
- What Happens During My Social
Required for Effective Hearing Representation
There is an excellent post over at the Social Security Disability Hacker blog, entitled Tips for Effective Hearing Representation. I mentioned it in last week's roundup, but the article deserves more attention, because it has so much good information.
The post is a summary of the NOSSCR conference presentation by Charles Martin and Sarah Bohr.
Remembrance Day
It is Veterans Day today, and we honor our veterans for their service and sacrifice.
The Canadian holiday corresponding to our Veterans Day is Remembrance Day. For me, that is a poignant name for this day. Because the day is all about remembering those who served, particularly those who have died.
Six tips to keep your disability claim moving
People waiting for a determination on their disability claim can have a very difficult time. Not only is there concern about health and lessened ability to function, but there is often real anxiety due to financial stress. And it often takes two years or more from the day a claimant initially applies for disability to
Client thank you
I received a wonderful thank you note from a client who recently received a fully favorable decision for her Social Security disability claim. With her permission, I share it with you:
I can’t begin to express my thanks for the very professional job you did on my case. Knowing that I was approved gave me the
Social Security Disability Blog Roundup – 11/6
This is a roundup of the notable posts from the disability blogs. I use the word notable rather than the word best, because I do not presume to be the arbiter of what is best.
Each Friday I select a few posts (from a growing number of disability blogs) that I find interesting or helpful.
Reopening a Prior Claim Reminder
Reopening a prior claim is one of the neatest things you can do as a Social Security disabiity lawyer. From the “posted one year ago today” file, here is a reminder to check for prior claims. Reopening a prior claim can add substantially to the retroactive benefits payable to the claimant.
Reopening is governed by
Welcome ALJ Griswold
Administrative Law Judge Kim Griswold has joined the Portland, Maine hearing office. Prior to becoming an ALJ, Judge Griswold was a senior Attorney Adjudicator at the Springfield, Massachusetts ODAR.
Judge Griswold brings the number of judges at the Portland hearing office back to six.
Judges say too many claims are denied initially, sometimes for no logical reason
A recent article in the Buffalo News interviews two Social Security administrative law judges regarding the backlog of disability claims. The article cites several problems contributing to the backlog. For me, the most meaningful problem discussed by the judges is that the DDS agencies are denying most claims, often for no logical reason.
While there has