NO COST OF LIVING INCREASES FOR 2016
ACCORDING TO THE SSA WEB SITE —
“With consumer prices down over the past year, monthly Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits for nearly 65 million Americans will not automatically increase in 2016.
“The Social Security Act provides for an automatic increase in Social Security and SSI benefits if there is an increase in inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W). The period of consideration includes the third quarter of the last year a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) was made to the third… Continue reading
Whatever happened to the efforts to decrease the processing time for Social Security Disability hearings?
According to a recent article in NOSSCR Social Security Forum, in July 2015, the average hearing office processing time had increased to 511 days. The record high was in August 2008 — 532 days. In 2014 it was 422 days. One of [the offices in my area are at 533 days
In July 2015 there were 1,056,071 claims waiting at the hearing level.
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In my opinion the backlog is caused by several things: The Judges now have a cap on the number of cases… Continue reading
Having a diagnosis of seizures is not necessarily enough to qualify for disability. In epilepsy, regardless of etiology, degree of impairment will be determined according to type, frequency, duration and sequel of seizures. At least one detailed description of a typical seizure is required. Testimony of persons other than the claimant is essential for description of type and frequency of seizures if professional observation is not available. Epilepsy is evaluated under the neurological body system – medical listing 11.02 and 11.03.
11.02 Epilepsy – convulsive epilepsy (grand mal or psychomotor) documented by detailed description of a typical seizure pattern, including… Continue reading
1. Tell all your doctors about all your symptoms. If you have depression and you go to your primary doctor or a referral to a specialist, fill out a health questionnaire, and check NO, you do not have any mental health problems; it makes you look less believable.
2. Tell all your doctors about all your symptoms. Social Security disability is a system based on medical problems and how these medical problems affect your ability to work – full time. This means that Social Security puts a lot of weight on… Continue reading
Symptoms of Addison's disease include muscle ache, joint pain, weakness, fatigue, low blood pressure, fainting, nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea, loss of appetite and body weight, craving sodium, low blood sugar, mood swings and depression. The onset of symptoms often occurs slowly and can be difficult to diagnose.
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