Welcome! This site is written for Social Security disability claimants, for their legal representatives, and for the network of people involved in the Social Security disability claim process. I hope you find it helpful.
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My first post on this blog was 15 years ago today! It is hard to believe that 15 years have gone by. Both personally and professionally, much has changed since I began.

Personally, I was newly married when I started the blog. We had just bought a house. We now have a 13 year old

The annual NOSSCR conference will be in Washington, DC next week, beginning Wednesday, May 3rd. I am a sustaining member of NOSSCR, and will be there.

The NOSSCR conference is always a good chance to learn, and to get perspectives from others around the country who also specialize in Social Security disability law.

Please say

Disability Determination Services (DDS) state agencies make initial and reconsideration determinations on Social Security disability claims. These agencies have had massive turnover in the past few years. I used to work repeatedly with the same group of disability examiners. These days, I am constantly seeing new examiners. Adding to the turnover problem, it takes months

Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) is the amount of money that one can earn and still qualify for Social Security disability benefits. The amount is adjusted each year for inflation, as shown by this table. In 2022, the amount is $1,350. For 2023, the amount goes up to 1,470.

The SGA amount is important for

Last month, my hearings with an administrative law judge (ALJ) to determine medical eligibility for Social Security disability benefits followed the usual, familiar pattern: opening remarks by the judge and then the claimant’s lawyer (me), the claimant’s testimony, and then testimony of a vocational witness regarding the claimant’s past relevant work, and whether various functional