Your date last insured (DLI) can be an important date for your Social Security disability claim. Social Security disability is an insurance program, and a portion of the FICA payroll taxes withheld from every paycheck pays the disability premium. However, if you stop working, you stop paying the premium. Eventually, your disability insurance will lapse.
Maine Disability and SSI Claims
The Maine Social Security disability and SSI claim process may require several stages. Maine attorney Gordon Gates can help you with each stage of the Social Security disability claim process.
The first stage is the review of your initial application. The Social Security Administration sends your case to a state agency in Augusta –
New Hampshire Disability and SSI Claims
A New Hampshire Social Security disability or SSI claim is often a two stage process. The first stage is the review of your initial disability application. The Social Security Administration sends your case to a state agency in Concord – Disability Determination Services – to gather additional information and to make an initial determination on
Social Security disability – you paid for it
Social Security disability insurance is called "insurance" for a reason. You pay a premium from every paycheck, and receive disability coverage in return. How much is the premium? See this table.
15.3% of your wages are withheld for Social Security. Your employer pays 7.65% and you pay 7.65%. If you are self-employed, you pay
Winds of Change blowing for the DOT?
At step 5 of the sequential evaluation process, Social Security must determine your ability to do other work. When making this determination, the administration uses the occupational data contained in the Dictionary of Ocupational Titles (DOT), which was compiled by the U.S. Department of Labor. However, the DOT has not been revised or updated
Be Specific about your Limitations
I often counsel clients with a Social Security disability claim to be specific about their functional limitations. This is especially true at a Social Security disability hearing, where the administrative law judge will be trying to quantify your functional limitations to establish your RFC. It doesn't help the judge very much to say "I
The Social Security Disability Lawyer Blog
Welcome. I am a Social Security disability lawyer in Maine. This site is written for Social Security disability claimants, their legal representatives, and the network of people involved in the Social Security disability claim process.
If you have a Social Security disability or SSI claim in Maine or New Hampshire, please contact Gordon Gates or
Thank you Note
I received a wonderful thank you note today from a client who recently received a fully favorable decision for a Social Security disability claim. The last sentence said:
The relief that I have now in knowing that I can pay my bills is tremendous.
This is a universal feeling from claimants who are awarded disability
Keep a Journal
From time to time I ask my clients to keep a journal, to keep track of their "good days" and "bad days" over a period of several months. For certain impairments, such a fibromyalgia, such a journal can be very helpful.
There is no listed impairment for fibromyalgia. So the case has to be decided
Tell your Doctor
Your medical records – the doctor’s treatment notes and progress notes – are created to keep track of your medical care, as a tool to assist your doctor with your treatment. Those notes are not created to be used for the purpose of establishing a disability claim. However, your medical records are the principal evidence