I have had several claims this year granted on the record. An “on the record” (OTR) request asks Social Security to grant your case on the record without a hearing. This request is for claims pending at the hearing level at the Office of Hearings Operations.
OTRs are favored by Social Security, because they save
The latest waterfall chart has been released. I love this chart, and have been posting annually on this blog for years.
Social Security field offices, hearing offices, and the Appeals Council are all operating during the shutdown. Those staffing Social Security offices are not receiving their paychecks during the shutdown. However, they continue to stoically go about their duties.
DDS offices are operating as well. However, DDS does not have funding for consultative exams during the
Social Security uses an electronic claim file for its disability claims. Representatives can upload records, forms, and correspondence directly into the file. It is a terrific system, and is appreciated particularly by those of us who have been doing this long enough to know what it was like using the old paper claim files, circa
A long-awaited improvement to the Social Security e-file has arrived. The Electronic Folder now provides access to Sections A and B at Initial and Reconsideration levels. This is great news for Social Security disability Representatives, and also for the staff at local Social Security field offices.
Having access to the A section of the folder
I recently helped a client over the age of 55 with their initial application for Social Security disability benefits. I get involved early in these cases because the claimant’s past relevant work is often the most important aspect of the claim, and I want to ensure that both the application and the Work History Report
At Step 5 of the sequential evaluation, Mr. Jones is 58 years old. He does not have acquired job skills that transfer to a
The new fee cap, announced back in March, is now in effect. The relevant date for the fee cap is the date of the approval fee agreement. So if the fee agreement was approved prior to November 30, 2024 but is still unpaid, the previous cap of $7,200 applies. Social Security has announced that, in
I had an in-person hearing at the Portland Hearing office last week, on September 10th. When I signed in, I noticed that no one had signed in to the hearing office since August 22nd, 3 weeks before. Sign-ins before that were similarly sparse.
The hearing offices used to have busy public spaces. Back in the
If you have a claimant awaiting at the hearing level who was denied benefits by DDS at Step 4 due to the ability to perform a past job, and that job was last performed more than 5 years ago, that job no longer counts as PRW.
Take a look at the case to see if