ALABAMA'S DISABIITY CHECKLIST

ALABAMA'S DISABIITY CHECKLIST - SIMPLY STATED

Do you need long term disability checks from Social Security? There is a mandatory and sequential checklist that Social Security must use to decide whether you can get checks. Stated as simply as possible, here is that 5-step process:

1. Are you now working? If so, you don't qualify, if you earn at least $1,350 month in wages (in 2022).

2. Do you have a severe impairment that can be medically proven?

3. Do you meet of the published listings? (If not, you still may qualify). We must now determine your "Residual Functional Capacity" or RFC.

4. Are you able to perform any of the work you have done during the past 15 year period? If so, you don't qualify.

5. Are you able to perform any other type of work? If so, you won't qualify unless you are over age 50 (in some cases).

The basic rule for Alabama disability is that you aren't working a full-time job now due to a disability, and you are physically and/or mentally unable to hold a full-time job.

It may sound pretty easy but it isn't. The Social Security "gatekeepers" will make you jump through legal hoops you never dreamed existed. Most claimants will want legal representation, especially after the first denial.

The good news is that Social Security makes it easy to get representation. You cannot be charged a fee unless you case is successful and results in back payments from Social Security (the "contingency fee" rule).
________________
THE FORSYTHE FIRM
Social Security Representation in Alabama & Tennessee
7027 Old Madison Pike - Suite 108
Huntsville, AL 35806
"Across from Bridge Street'
CALL US (256) 799-0297

Comments

IS IT HARD TO GET SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY IN TENNESSEE?

How hard is it to get Social Security disability (SSDI) in Tennessee? It can be very difficult. In the beginning stages of the process, it seems like the agency is out to deny as many claims as possible. Later--in the appeals process--it takes more technical and legal skill to move through the labyrinth of obstacles. What's the usual reason for an SSDI denial? If you look at all the denial letters, the most comm on reason given is: You are not disabled according to our rules. The 2 main explanation for finding claimants not disabled are: 1. You are able to perform some of your past relevant work. 2. You can't perform any of your past work but you are able to do other work. Those are the two "catch all" reasons Social Security gives for nearly all of their denials. Both of these reasons fall into the category of a medical denial . The claimant's condition is not deemed severe enough to prevent all work. There are other reasons for d...

WHAT YOU WILL BE ASKED AT A DISABILITY HEARING

Most Social Security disability claims will be denied twice: First at the end of the Application process, and again after the "Reconsideration" process. The third stop will be a hearing before a federal Administrative Law Judge (ALJ). It is here at the hearing level that most SSDI claims are paid. So, what do you need to know about your Social Security disability hearing? First, the judge will follow the rules established by the Social Security Administration. His or her job is to determine whether you meet the particular laws and rules to receive disability payments. So, it is a legal proceeding where you must prove certain things in order to get paid. Among the things you must prove: Your insured status with Social Security: You have worked recently enough and paid into the Social Security trust fund to gain the required "work credits" to support your claim. You have a severe medical or mental impairment supported by adequa...

CAN YOU WIN YOUR DISABILITY APPEAL WITHOUT A LAWYER?

The Social Security Administration does not require you to have a lawyer to file an appeal or to appear at a hearing. However, most people heading for a disability hearing will hire a lawyer or advocate to help them. Studies have shown that you are about twice as likely to win with a lawyer. A recent study found that claimants with no lawyer win about 30 percent of the time while claimants with a lawyer or advocate win 60 percent of the time. " He just cooked his own goose." These statistics cover only one aspect of a disability appear--your odds of winning. The other important aspects are time and convenience. If you prepare and adjudicate your own disability appeal, expect to spend 12 to 24 months working on the case. You will be collecting, reading and submitting hundreds or thousands of pages of medical records. These records are complex and often difficult to understand. And you must know how each medical record helps (or hurts) your dis...

DISABILITY SURVIVAL GUIDE: NORTH ALABAMA EDITION

Search This Blog