Articles Posted in Social Security Disability Insurance

It is hard to walk to down the street in downtown Boston without seeing those who live on the city streets. While it is never easy to be without a home, it was especially difficult during this harsh winter that has just ended. The Boston Globe published a recent article in the Metro section that looked at the homeless population in our city and their struggle to obtain Social Security disability benefits.

During the month of February, over 300 city officials and volunteers spend an evening walking the cold dark streets to conduct the city’s annual count of homeless residents. This winter has not only been particularly brutal in terms of cold temperatures and snowfall, but a large homeless shelter closed as well. This was, of course the Long Island Shelter, which city officials had to evacuate this winter with the close of the Long Island Bridge.

With the bridge connecting Long Island to Quincy in a dangerously dilapidated condition, city officials made a quick move to close the bridge to all traffic and evacuate the island shelter of hundreds of homeless and recovering drug addicts. While they city has been working on a temporary and eventually permanent solution, many from the shelter ended up on the street.
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Mascio v. Colvin, an appeal from the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, involved claimant who applied for Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and the Social Security Administration (SSA) denied her claim for benefits.

Claimant based her request for disability benefits on the fact she suffers from a degenerative disc disorder, carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), and an adjustment disorder. Adjustment disorder is a psychological illness related to stress that makes it difficult for patients to engage in normal social situations or workplace situations.

She had a hearing before an administrative law judge (ALJ), who determined claimant was not disabled. Claimant timely appealed this decision, and the appellate court reversed ALJ’s decision and remanded the case for a new hearing before a different ALJ.
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If you are disabled and in the process of applying for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits, or are currently a recipient of SSDI benefits, you are probably paying close attention to the massive news coverage of the impending budgetary shortfall facing the Social Security Administration (SSA) run disability benefits program.

A recent news feature from Town Hall is urging Congress to take action before it’s too late. The problem stems from the fact that SSA runs various programs funded by different sources. First, there is the Social Security retirement benefits program millions of elderly Americans rely upon to survive when they reach the ever-increasing age of eligibility. In addition to this program, with which most of us are familiar, there are two programs to help disabled Americans. One is the Social Security Disability Insurance program, and the other is the Supplemental Security Income program (SSI).
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According to a recent article from Metro Weekly, representatives of same sex couples have filed a lawsuit against Carolyn Colvin in her capacity as Director of the United States Social Security Admission (SSA).

Plaintiffs claim after the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) struck down provisions of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) pertaining to Social Security benefits for couples in a same-sex marriage, SSA continued to deny them benefits for a year after the landmark decision in the Windsor case. Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAAD) and Justice and Aging have filed this class action lawsuit on behalf of plaintiffs.

Court papers alleged SSA was constitutionally required to recognize plaintiffs’ same-sex marriage after Windsor, but chose not to do so for a year. Now that SSA is recognized same-sex marriages, they are going back and trying recoup what they consider over-payments of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits.
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Anyone who has ever gone through the Social Security Disability claims process administered by the United States Social Security Administration (SSA) knows it can be a daunting task. This is especially true of those who decide to try to get benefits without the assistance of an experienced disability attorney.

Basically, the system is set up in way to deny valid disability claims and take advantage of unrepresented claimants’ lack of experience with the system.

According to a recent article from Fox Atlanta, former Major League Baseball player Brian Doyle, who played second base for the New York Yankees during their winning bid for the 1978 World Series, is saying it was easier to win the World Series that it is to get approved for Social Security disability benefits.

Despite his exceptional performance in the 1978 World Series, the utility player had only racked up a .161 batting average over the span of his career and retired from playing three years later to work as a coach. Several years after his retirement from playing, Doyle was diagnosed with leukemia. While his cancer went into remission, he was left with various debilitating conditions to his legs and upper extremities he says was a result of the chemotherapy and other treatment.
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With the upcoming budget crisis in the Social Security Disability Fund taking center stage in the national debate, it should come as no surprise different news agencies express different opinions on the situation.

A recent article from Los Angeles Times business desk is asking why The Wall Street Journal used very old data as its basis for attacking the Social Security Disability system.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) article at issue made claims that the system originally designed to help vulnerable members of society has “morphed” into a “benefits bonanza” at the expense of the taxpayers. Their crux of WSJ’s concerns was administrative law judges (ALJ) should not have the power to reverse denials, and that ALJs are reversing far too many denials and approving benefits awards for those who do not truly need it.
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