Massachusetts Social Security Disability Lawyers Blog

The Social Security Disability insurance program has been under fire in recent months, with lawmakers calling for changes and reports on 60 Minutes and NRP suggesting the system is rife with fraud. Unfortunately, many of the claims that have been made in recent months, including those from lawmakers arguing for changes to the program, are based on misunderstandings of the benefits offered and of the way in which the SSA administers the disability benefits programs.

Our Boston Social Security Disability lawyers know that SSD benefits are the sole source of income for many disabled adults and families throughout the United States. The benefits are given only to those who truly cannot work and qualifying for benefits is already very difficult. Any changes made to the program should aim not to make it harder for applicants to get benefits but instead to streamline the process and provide for a better social safety net for those who are too disabled to work Fortunately, there are many advocates for the SSD program and Think Progress has recently highlighted Nine Facts That Prove Disability Insurance Isn’t a Giant Boondoggle.
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Social Security disability lawyers in Boston know that the disabled face many hurdles getting benefits and that often the benefits that are paid out provide only a limited amount of income. For some individuals receiving disability benefits, however, the problem isn’t that their claims have been delayed or that their benefits haven’t been approved. Instead, the issue is that they have been overpaid.

As CNN reported, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) estimates that the Social Security Administration (SSA) has paid out $1.3 billion in overpayments in the past two years alone. These payments may have been sent out to people who started working and no longer qualified for disability or to individuals who began to earn too much income to qualify for benefits. While the added benefits may at first seem like a windfall to a disabled person in need of income, unfortunately disaster can strike when an SSD recipient accepted these overpayments unknowingly and then the SSA discovered what it had done.
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In the United States, 37.2 million Americans have some type of disabling condition. Unfortunately, as baby boomers age, the number of Americans who are impaired or disabled is likely only to grow. Disabled individuals not only make up a large portion of the U.S. population, but an estimated 15 percent of people worldwide live with some type of physical or cognitive disability.

Unfortunately, our social security disability lawyers in Boston know that many of the millions of disabled individuals are not getting the assistance they need. The failure to provide services for the disabled extends not just to challenges the disabled face in qualifying for benefits or income assistance, but also to other areas such as employment opportunities, education and even aid during disasters.
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Individuals can become severely disabled by many different conditions including a serious injury or an illness such as cancer or heart disease. Our Boston Social Security disability lawyers, however, know that one of the leading causes of disability in the United States and throughout the world is depression.

Depression can impact every aspect of a person’s life, making it impossible to even get out of bed or perform basic life tasks, never mind trying to hold down a job. Individuals who are disabled because of their depression can potentially receive disability income through the Social Security Administration, but getting approved for SSD benefits on the basis of depression can be a challenge.
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Our Boston Social Security disability lawyers know that federal lawmakers are looking seriously for solutions to what some believe are major problems within the disability benefits system. Concerns that the Social Security Disability Insurance funds will run out of money within just a few short years, coupled with reports of dramatic increases in SSD benefits signaling potential fraud, have led lawmakers to explore proposals to alter how benefits are paid.

Social Security Disability (SSD) is a last resort for many patients who are too severely ill or injured to hold down a job and earn income to support themselves. Benefits are relatively small for SSD recipients and qualifying for SSD is extremely difficult, with well over half of all applications denied even after exhausting the appeals process. Yet, with few workers having access to any type of private disability insurance, SSDI is often the only income that a disabled person is able to access.
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After a 16-day shutdown of the United States government, budget negotiations are beginning again. For five years, ongoing negotiations have centered around passing a budget that is accepted by both Democrats and Republicans and that addresses problems related to the deficit and the need for economic growth. In the upcoming budget negotiations, the focus is likely to include attempts to replace automatic spending cuts known as the Sequester.

One of the proposals that has been on the table during prior budget debates is something called Chained CPI. While it is unclear whether any changes to entitlements such as Social Security benefits will be made in the upcoming budget debates as there are still fundamental disagreements that may make change impossible, our Boston disability lawyers know that the idea of chained CPI may not be going away any time soon as there are still plenty of supporters. President Barack Obama even included chained CPI in his budget, although he insists chained CPI would only be an option as part of a larger agreement that includes revenue increases. Recipients of SSI and SSDI benefits, therefore, need to understand what chained CPI is and what it means for them.
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Millions of Americans rely on disability benefits from the Social Security Administration as their sole source of income if they are not able to work. For Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) recipients, benefit amounts are set based on your work history, while Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits are set based on need. Both SSDI and SSI benefits have annual caps, but also have periodic increases in the amount of benefits paid. These increases are called Cost of Living Adjustments, abbreviated COLA.

Our Boston disability insurance lawyers know that Cost of Living Adjustments are necessary because otherwise the value of SSD benefits would be eaten away by inflation. As the price of food, housing and gas go up, the value of the dollar goes down and if your benefits do not increase to keep pace with inflation, your buying power would be significantly reduced. Unfortunately, Fox News suggests that preliminary figures reveal the COLA increase next year will be one of the lowest in decades.
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Most of us do not consider the Social Security Disability system or the process of applying until we are in need of benefits. While you may have private insurance or think that the Social Security system is something you deal with in retirement, remember that it may be a benefit you will need sooner than you think. According to the Social Security Administration, a fourth of 20-year-olds will be disabled by the age of 67. This means that they will be unable to continue to work and potentially dependent on government benefits.

As a recent Chicago Tribune article points out, applying for Social Security benefits is a challenge, but it is worth it in the end. Our Massachusetts Social Security Disability Insurance attorneys are experienced with the complexity of the SSD system and in applying for benefits on behalf of our clients. We know that medical documentation and timely filing is critical to help those individuals and families who suffer with illness and disabilities.

Remember that the majority of disability claims will be denied. Even if your claim has been denied in the past, you still have the opportunity to appeal and present your case for benefits. The process for filing and obtaining benefits is never easy, but with an experienced advocate and an understanding of the SSDI system, you can improve your chances of qualifying.
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