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When you are awarded Social Security disability benefits, you do not receive benefits beginning on your onset date (which is the date you became disabled, and were not working).  Rather, there is a 5-month “waiting period” before benefits accrue.

As a practical matter, however, it is often a 6-month waiting period. This is because the…

When a concurrent Title II and Title XVI case is awarded, the claim goes to the local Field Office for a determination of SSI benefits. This process takes some time, because the claim specialist at the field office needs to make an appointment to call the claimant to document the claimant’s income and assets to determine financial eligibility (SSI is a need-based program). Then the claim gets sent to the Payment Center, where Title II benefits are calculated, and then the SSI benefits offset the Title II benefits. Therefore, concurrent cases typically take several weeks longer to get paid than straight Title II-only disability claims. This is frustrating, because the SSI claimants are the ones who often need to money the most.

The monthly Title II disability benefit (PIA) is usually greater than the monthly Title XVI SSI amount. And while the SSI benefits begin to accrue on the filing date of the claim, the disability benefit is not paid until after the 5-month waiting period after the onset date. To evaluate these payment issues, you need to compare the filing date with the onset date, and know that the eligibility date for Title II is 5 full calendar months after the onset date.…

Continue Reading Title II Offset When a Representative Fee is Involved

If you qualify for Social Security disability benefits, your minor children are also awarded benefits. These benefits are in addition to your monthly disability payments, and are intended to help provide the necessities of life for your children. If you remain disabled, the children’s benefits will continue until their 18th birthday (a child still in…

I have received several calls lately from individuals who are currently receiving Social Security disability benefits, and have just gotten a letter from the SSA saying that their disability status is being reviewed. Obviously, the receipt of such a letter causes a great deal of concern.

Social Security periodically conducts continuing disability reviews (CDRs)…

The Social Security Administration recently announced a cost of living adjustment (COLA) of 3.6% for Social Security beneficiaries. The COLA affects several different numbers in the Social Security ecosystem.

The monthly maximum SSI amount will be $698 in 2012. For a married couple on SSI, the "couples rate" will be $1,048.

The monthly amount for…

A fully favorable ALJ decison usually contains a sentence like this:

The claimant's earnings record shows that the claimant has acquired sufficient quarters of coverage to remain insured through December 31, 2013.

Sometimes the successful claimant will read that sentence and think that it means that the Social Security disability benefits will terminate on…

An adult disabled before age 22 may be eligible for child's benefits if a parent is deceased, or receives Social Security retirement or disability benefits. The SSA considers this a "child's" benefit because it is paid on a parent's Social Security earnings record. Here is the DAC page on the SSA website.

The DAC benefit…

I get inquires regarding partial disability every now and then. Potential claimants believe they may qualify for partial Social Security disability benefits. They could still work a bit, but can no longer do the same job, or earn the same income, they earned before.  Or perhaps, due to their medical condition, their earnings have dropped significantly…