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If you are applying for Social Security disability benefits and have a physical condition that makes it difficult to walk, your Ocala Social Security disability attorney can prove your case by showing that you cannot effectively ambulate. The Test for Effective Ambulation The common belief amongst disability claimants is that in order for the Social Security Administration (SSA) to determine that you cannot ambulate effectively, you must rely on a walker or two canes.  On the contrary, the SSA acknowledges that not all claimants with an extreme inability to ambulate necessarily use assistive devices. The real test the SSA uses to determine whether a claimant can ambulate effectively is to see whether the claimant can walk a block at a…Read More

In filing a successful Social Security disability claim for back pain, your Ocala disability attorney needs to address the various factors that the Social Security Administration will consider. Evaluation of Back Pain Back pain is generally one of the most difficult disabilities to prove to the SSA because there are no objective findings that confirm the pain you are experiencing is real. As such, it is very important for your Ocala disability attorney to provide sufficient evidence to help the SSA consider the various factors in determining whether to award you disability benefits. Severity Factors In determining whether your back pain is severe enough to warrant Social Security disability benefits, the SSA will consider the following factors: Your credibility in…Read More

Social Security disability claims for back pain are hard to prove, because the major symptoms are subjective. In proving your case, your Ocala disability lawyer will need to provide evidence the Social Security Administration (SSA) needs when considering the subjective factors. The Subjective Factors When evaluating the subjective factors in a disability claim for back pain, the SSA will consider a claimant’s medical history, the consistency of the claimant’s complaints to each treating physician, and the claimant’s overall credibility. More specifically, in determining the credibility factor, the SSA looks to see how many times the claimant visited the doctor, the claimant’s response to treatment, the comments he or she made to each treating physician, and the claimant’s diligence in keeping…Read More

The Social Security Administration (SSA) gives considerable weight to the opinions and statements provided by a claimant’s treating physicians and other medical professionals involved in the claimant’s treatments.  Experienced Ocala disability lawyers will first make sure the doctors meet the standards established by the SSA and then will assist them in providing the detailed reports requested by the SSA. The SSA’s Standards & Guidelines  In order for the opinion to be controlling, the doctor needs to meet certain criteria established by the SSA. The doctor must be properly licensed and provide medical opinions in his or her area of specialty. The doctor must be the treating physician who has personally treated the claimant’s disability. The SSA will look to see…Read More

When the Social Security Administration (SSA) feels that there is insufficient evidence to substantiate your disability claim, the disability examiner will arrange for you to attend a consultative examination. The results of your consultative exam directly affect the outcome of your disability claim. Thus, it is imperative that you seek the guidance of an Ocala Social Security disability attorney prior to undergoing your exam. You Must Attend Your Consultative Exam The SSA requests consultative exams in an effort to obtain a medical opinion from an independent physician when the administration lacks sufficient evidence to determine the existence or severity of your disability. Therefore, your Ocala Social Security disability attorney will advise you to attend your examination in order to provide…Read More

Proving a Social Security disability claim for chronic pain is challenging because it is very difficult to measure pain symptoms by laboratory findings. The majority of pain cases are based on subjective evidence. If you are applying for disability benefits based on chronic pain, you must hire an Ocala Social Security disability lawyer to help you provide the necessary information the Social Security Administration (SSA) needs to award you disability benefits. Qualifying for Disability Benefits for Chronic Pain To qualify for Social Security disability benefits for chronic pain, you must first demonstrate to the SSA that you have a severe, “medically determinable” physical or mental disability. In other words, your Ocala Social Security disability lawyer must be able to provide…Read More

The majority of Social Security disability claimants are scheduled for consultative examinations at some point during the claim process. The main concern for every claimant scheduled for a consultative examination is who will perform the exam. If you have been scheduled for a consultative exam, your Ocala Social Security disability attorney can guide you through the process and answer any questions you may have. Independent Physicians Perform Consultative Exams Consultative exams are not conducted by doctors who work for the Social Security Administration (SSA). In fact, the SSA does not even hire doctors for the purpose of conducting consultative exams. The doctors who conduct these exams are independent physicians who have been contracted to perform such services for the SSA.…Read More

Dealing with the Social Security Administration while receiving Social Security disability benefits is not as hard as it was during the claims process. Nonetheless, there are always exceptions to the rule, and some people do have problems. Your Ocala disability attorney will provide you with some tips to reduce your aggravation.  Below is a list of steps you should take to minimize the hassle of dealing with the Social Security Administration: Organize all of the correspondence you have received and sent to the Social Security Administration and keep them in a safe place Make sure you read every mail, letter, pamphlet and booklet that you receive as they all contain information that is important to your Social Security disability benefits…Read More

The majority of new Social Security disability recipients have numerous questions regarding their benefits. Although you can contact the Social Security Office directly, you will get a more detailed answer from your Ocala Social Security disability attorney.  The two major questions recipients have are regarding direct deposit and cashing the first check. Direct Deposit  Social Security disability recipients have the option of signing up to receive their checks via direct deposit. The Social Security Administration (SSA) generally requires claimants to sign up for direct deposit when they initially file their claim. Because it can take months or years to be awarded benefits, some people forget they signed up for direct deposit with a particular bank account.  If you close an…Read More

Congratulations. You finally received the important letter from the Social Security Administration (SSA) awarding you Social Security disability benefits. But you still have questions about your benefits. Your Ocala Social Security disability lawyer will continue to help you and answer your questions until you actually receive your payments and are on track. Back Benefits  A common question new Social Security disability recipients often have is how far back benefits go. Back pay of disability benefits is a complex issue. In answering this question, your Ocala Social Security disability lawyer will consider the SSA’s rule that disability benefits can be paid back to the date of application for up to 12 months, subject to a five-month waiting period.  More simply stated,…Read More