Social Security Disability

Sometimes paperwork errors occur which cause SSD benefits to be delayed. You should receive your first benefits check within 2 or 3 months of the approval date. If this does not occur, you and/or your Ocala, Florida disability lawyer should look into the matter. The Notice of Award You should receive the Notice of Reward within 45 days of your approval. SSA recommends that claimants who do not promptly receive this notice send a fax to the office handling the case. This may be the Office of Central Operations in Baltimore, MD. Send the fax to the appropriate processing unit, called a module. Your Social Security number will determine which module is handling your claim. If you do not receive…Read More

Nearly all who suffer a disability experience fatigue. This, in itself, can significantly impair your ability to perform routine tasks and preclude you from living a normal life. Your Ocala Social Security disability lawyer will prepare you for the hearing before the administrative law judge, where you can be certain you will be asked in-depth questions about how fatigue has affected you. Sample Questions While the judge will question you, your Ocala Social Security disability lawyer will be on hand in case any issues arise. The following is a sampling of the kinds of questions the judge may ask you regarding fatigue. Onset of Your Fatigue Describe your fatigue. When did it begin? What is the nature of your fatigue…Read More

There are many advantages to having an experienced Ocala Social Security lawyer who will represent you during your Social Security disability hearing and appeals process. However, one thing your Ocala Social Security lawyer cannot do is to speed up the system and get a decision to you in a quicker manner. Why It May Take a Long Time to Get a Decision There is no way for you to really know how long it will take before the administrative law judge issues a decision in your case, but you should expect it to take a long time. Although your Ocala Social Security lawyer can assist you in preventing any delays in setting a hearing date, once your attorney presents his…Read More

Ocala Social Security disability claimants frequently name mental disorders as a reason why they cannot work. Not only are mental disorders mentioned as a primary disability, many physical impairment cases include hidden psychological issues. This is because chronic physical impairments often can take a psychological toll. Can you still do unskilled work? Even if you suffer from a mental disorder, chances are that you will be denied Social Security disability benefits if you are able to perform unskilled work, unless you also have physical impairments. This is because the Social Security Administration can point to many jobs that require only unskilled work. However, if you have a marked impairment in any of the abilities required for unskilled work you may…Read More

One of the most important decisions you will make in the Social Security disability process is to hire an experienced and qualified Ocala disability attorney to represent you. Government statistics show that Social Security claimants who have disability lawyers are more likely to be approved for benefits than those who do not. Why is hiring a competent disability attorney so important? Disability attorneys know exactly what information the Social Security Administration requires to make a decision in your favor and they know how to get it. Disability attorneys are often able to develop the evidence more thoroughly than Social Security staffers who must process a large number of applications with significant time constraints. Disability attorneys know how to prepare their…Read More

Chronic pain can be defined in a number of different ways. It can be continuous, irregular, or intense. It can be pain that cannot be eliminated by standard medical treatment, pain that persists after an injury or illness has resolved, or pain for which no origin can be determined. Many Florida Social Security disability clients suffer from chronic pain. However, claimants suffering from chronic pain sometimes have trouble convincing the Social Security Administration that their pain prevents them from working because pain tends to be subjective and difficult to measure. Thus, the Social Security Administration will look at the credibility of the claimant’s description of his or her pain in order to determine if Social Security disability benefits will be…Read More

Most applicants for Florida Social Security disability benefits must show that they can no longer perform work they had previously done and that they cannot do any other work. In determining whether an applicant can perform any other work, the applicant’s age is an important consideration for the Social Security Administration. In fact, the Social Security guidelines are less stringent for claimants 55 and older. Medical-Vocational Guidelines for applicants 55 or older The Medical-Vocational Guidelines are rules utilized by the Social Security Administration to determine what other work you can do. These rules are favorable to those over 55 years of age because they recognize that if you are older and your medical condition limits your level of exertion, it…Read More

Whether you are capable of performing your “past relevant work” may be an issue in your Social Security disability case.  If the answer is yes, you will not be disabled.  In general, “past relevant work,” includes all jobs you did during the past 15 years for long enough to learn how to do them (generally 30 days). When your ability to do former jobs is an issue, the administrative law judge will be interested in the answer to these three questions: What are the physical and mental demands of your former work as you actually performed it? What are the physical and mental demands of your former work as generally required by employers throughout the national economy? Can you meet…Read More

If you have a medically determinable impairment, that is -- your medical records and doctors’ reports illustrate an underlying physical or mental impairment that could reasonably be expected to cause your pain, the Social Security Administration next evaluates the intensity and persistence of your pain to determine how it limits your ability to perform basic work activities. The Social Security Administration will consider all evidence that has been presented including, but not limited to, your medical history and findings and statements from you, your treating physicians, or other persons, regarding how you are affected by your pain. The Social Security Administration will also consider medical opinions of doctors who have treated or examined you. In addition to objective medical evidence,…Read More

The success of your Florida Social Security disability case may depend on how good a job your Ocala disability attorney does in preparing you to testify.  Your Ocala disability attorney must prepare you to describe details about how your impairment affects your daily activities.  The details you provide in your testimony can often what tips the decision in your favor. At your hearing, the administrative law judge will ask you about your activities. If you testify that you can perform a wide range of activities (walking, shopping, laundry, gardening, cooking and cleaning, going on vacations, etc.), the judge may find that you are not disabled because you are able to do too much. Even though it may initially appear that…Read More