According to the 2017 American Community Survey (ACS), more than 40 million Americans, or about one in eight people in the United States, suffers from some form of disability. However, only about 10 million people in the United States received Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits in that same year. Partly that’s due to variations in how disabilities are defined, but more importantly, it has to do with the difference between having a disability and being legally disabled. Continue reading “What Does It Mean to Be Legally Disabled?”
Tag: disability benefits
Social Security Administration Reinstates “Reconsideration” Stage
Unfortunately, recent data shows that approximately 66 percent of initial applications for social security disability are denied. That number is slightly lower for individuals who file with an attorney. Following a denied claim, the wait process can be draining.
For years, New York was one of several states which did not have a “reconsideration stage” and instead would skip right to a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ). Once a denial was issued, the individual would have the ability to request a hearing before an adjudicative law judge. The wait time for a hearing in New York is between one and two years. Once the hearing is scheduled, the individual and a vocational expert appear before a judge where they review the claim and medical evidence.
Continue reading “Social Security Administration Reinstates “Reconsideration” Stage”
More Disabled People Opt to Collect Paychecks, Not Benefits
A recent article in The Wall Street Journal reported that a record number of people with mental and physical disabilities joined the workforce while, at the same time, stopped receiving disability benefits.
According to the WSJ, 51,302 people went off disability so they can find “gainful” employment; that is the most since 2002. Meanwhile, 8.5 million people are still collecting disability in December 2018, down from 9 million the same month four years ago.
Continue reading “More Disabled People Opt to Collect Paychecks, Not Benefits”
