Articles Tagged with Boston SSDI

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Smith v. Colvin is a case from the United States Court of Appeals for Tenth Circuit. In Smith, claimant applied for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits, and the Social Security Administration (SSA) denied her application.  Specifically, as part of her application, she claimed a disability based on a problem with her left shoulder, an inability to reach, handle, or manipulate objects with her fingers, and that she could only do a moderate amount of work without resting.

1034029_medicine_2After her application was denied, she applied for an appeal and was eventually granted a hearing before an administrative law judge (ALJ).  At her evidentiary hearing, ALJ determined she had a residual functioning capacity (RFC) that allowed her to work and found that she was not disabled.  Continue reading

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A recent news feature from the Brookings Institute discusses the future of the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) fund.  The Brookings Institute is a non-profit think tank that has policy making experts to research issues and make recommendations to Congress, the president and other politicians.  They generally comment on issues of domestic and international policy concern.

778761_heartOne of the issues on which the institute has been working is how to fix or shape the future of the Social Security Disability Insurance benefits program.  The SSDI program, along with the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program are two disability programs designed to help people who are disabled and unable to work.  The SSDI program is for workers who have paid into the system and can no longer work due to injury or illness.  The SSI program is primarily for disabled children in low-income households and blind or disabled adults who have never worked.  Continue reading

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For much of last year, we have been hearing about how the Social Security disability fund would run out of money by late in 2016.  This budget shortfall would result in a roughly 19 percent cut across the board in paid benefits. In other words, every one of the 11 million Americans who are collecting Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) would have their monthly benefit slashed by nearly a fifth, which would cause a terrible hardship. In many cases, recipients would no longer be able to take care of themselves and their families.

In the run-up to the GOP presidential primary, many previous candidates vowed never to allocate additional funding to Social Security Disability Insurance without a major overhaul. But as it turns out, forcing some 11 million people to go hungry isn’t good for one’s political career. Several agreed to a last-minute deal that would fund the program.hammer
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There is no question that gun control is a major issue in American politics these days.  With more and more school shootings and “active shooter” situations, there are many who are calling for a complete ban on hand guns and assault rifles.  Some will even go further and say that there should be no guns allowed due to the dangers posed by all of these shootings and domestic violence incidents.

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On the other hand, there are those who feel that it is every American’s Second Amendment right to own firearms, and the solution to the gun violence issue is for more Americans to carry weapons. Regardless of one’s position on the issue, it seems that most are in agreement that the mentally ill, including those with conditions such as schizophrenia, should not own a gun. Continue reading

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KKC v. Colvin, a case from the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, involves a federal disability claimant who dropped out of high school in the 11th grade.  He went to work in various jobs, including being a cook, a restaurant server, an employee at a fast food restaurant and eventually the manger. In addition to working in the food service industry, he also worked as an electrician’s assistant.

1034029_medicine_2Unfortunately, many in the restaurant industry become heavy smokers, and this claimant was no different.  As those who have worked in the food and beverage industry know, in most jobs you do not really get any breaks as you do in other types of jobs, despite relevant labor laws.  The only practical way to get a break is to say you are going out back (usually by the dumpster behind the kitchen) to go smoke a cigarette. Continue reading

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The payout of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits have become a highly politicized issue in recent years. There has been a growing (albeit erroneous) consensus among some politicians that SSDI benefits are far too easy to obtain and too many people are avoiding viable work options because it’s “easier to stay home and collect a check.” sadness2

One need only look at the rigorous eligibility requirements and application process to see why that’s not true. But if you’re looking for more evidence, turn your eye to the latest research by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. The study authors looked at the various programs over the last 25 years imposed by Congress to push SSDI recipients to return to work.

These include the “Ticket to Work” program in 1999 that provided vocational rehabilitation for recipients to the most recent Benefit Offset National Demonstration (BOND) program that reduces a person’s disability benefits by $1 for every $2 they earn (making benefits $0 when they reach Substantial Gainful Employment Activity – SGA). Unsurprisingly, none of these efforts have had much impact on the government’s bottom line or the number of recipients.

Why? Because despite the rhetoric that the SSDI program is too expensive and has become bogged down with waste and corruption, the reality is people who are receiving SSDI have very limited work capacities. That is: They are not committing fraud. They are not taking more than their fair share. They are not able to work and simply refusing to do so. They are disabled – and they had to go through a rigorous vetting process to prove it. Even those who may have limited work capacity aren’t likely to return to a situation where they can do so in a way that will allow them to be self-supporting in the long-term.  Continue reading

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Those deemed permanently disabled by the Social Security Administration (SSA) are entitled to Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits, assuming they worked for a time prior to the onset of their disability.graduation1

They are also, unlike almost every other former student, entitled to student loan debt forgiveness. However, very few took advantage of this, despite the fact that many struggle to meet the basic needs of themselves and their families.

Now, the Obama administration is making a point to root out and identify those who have this been designated totally and permanently disabled and forgive their student loans – a total of $7.7 billion in federal student loans. Continue reading

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