DISABILITY SURVIVAL GUIDE: NORTH ALABAMA EDITION

You suddenly have a long term medical emergency caused either by disease or by an accident.  You cannot work for a year or longer and you need disability benefits now to support your family and pay your bills.  You apply for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits. Unfortunately, unless you have one of the few catastrophic illnesses which pay benefits quickly, you have a long road ahead of you.  Here are the usual steps that Social Security will want you to take, in order. 1.  APPLICATION.   You file a complicated application which details why you think you are disabled.  It will take up to 12 months or longer for this application to process.  There is a high probability the application will be denied because:  "You are not disabled under our rules." 2.   " RECONSIDERATION."   You appeal and your claim goes back to the same agency which just denied it.  They will take up to 12 to 18 months to review their decision....

  In Alabama about 8 out of 10 disability claims are denied by Social Security. Social Security in Alabama is a "lean, mean denial machine." Your first appeal is even more dismal.  It's called "Reconsideration" and it has a denial rate around 9 out of 10 or 90 percent. The 3rd stage of a Social Security disability claim is a Hearing.  Hearings are presided over by US Administrative Law Judges. Your odds of success at a Hearing are about 50/50 or 5 out of 10.   At your hearing, the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) can ignore your previous denials and provide a new decision. This is the first stage in the disability process that your lawyer or advocate gets to speak for you.  It is also the first time you will face a decision maker who has authority to approve your claim.  The judge will be careful to fairly apply the law to your case.  If you have a legitimate disability case which meets the rules and regulations of the Social Security Administration...

  As you might guess, our phone rings pretty often here at the Forsythe Firm.  Most of the calls are from people just like you who have questions about Social Security disability.  And we are happy to answer those questions. Here are some of the questions we regularly get (and questions you can ask us, too): 1.  Can I qualify for Social Security disability payments? 2.  Can I get long term disability (LTD) from my insurance company and still get Social Security disability benefits? 3. I haven't worked in 5 or 6 years.  How will that affect Social Security disability benefits? 4.  How much would my monthly Social Security check be? 5.  Can I get any back pay on my claim? 6.  What does a Social Security disability lawyer cost? 7.  How long does it take to get approved? 8.  What will happen at my Social Security hearing? 9.  How can I prepare for my Social Security hearing? 10.  Can you help me? Just call us.  Whether we...

Here are the usual reasons that Social Security denies disability claims. 1.  You are not disabled under Social Security rules.  They usually find that your impairment is not severe enough to prevent you from all types of work.  There is some type of work you could do, they say. 2.  You didn't present sufficient objective medical evidence to prove your total disability.   Objective evidence includes X-rays, other imaging studies, laboratory tests and examinations by a physician. 3.  You worked after the date you claimed as your disability onset date.  This results in a stop 1 automatic denial. 4.  You have not worked and paid into the Social Security system to earn the required work credits OR you have not done so recently enough for those credits to be up to date.  Therefore, you are not covered by Social Security disability. The Social Security system denies roughly 7 out of 10 disability claims at the initial (application) level, and 9 out...

  The total US national debt is now $31.4 trillion. Of that amount, the US government has "borrowed" $6.18 trillion from Social Security trust funds. To date, the government still owes the Social Security Administration the total $6.18 trillion. Let's put that in perspective: Social Security faces a shortfall of $13.6 trillion over the next ten years (2023 - 2033). It will pay out $13.6 more than it will bring in. That shortfall equals 3.5 percent of all future taxable payrolls in the nation. Almost 25 percent of the total national debt has been "borrowed" from the Social Security trust fund--the fund which pays retirement, survivors and disability benefits: in other words, your money. In the past, when the US general fund ran low on money, Congress borrowed trillions of dollars from the Social Security funds and left what amounts to unfunded IOUs in place of the money. Thus, Congress has no obligation to pay the money back. No wonder the Social Securit...

If you can't work and earn a paycheck because of a disability, you need answers NOW.  What can you do to save your family's finances, your home and your sanity? You should file for a Social Security disability benefit immediately.  Don't wait. Yes, the disability process is tough and complicated but do not delay. The Social Security Administration (SSA) pays millions of dollars to Alabamians who are unable to work due to long term disabilities.  When you were working, you paid into the Social Security system out of every payroll check you earned.  So file your claim today. How much can you receive each month from Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)?  Social Security can pay up to a maximum of $3,627 per month.   And if you have dependent children under age 19 or still in school, each child may receive an additional cash benefit each month. ADDITIONAL BENEFITS:  You may also receive Medicare insurance to pay for doctors, hospitals, emergency ro...

Let's face it.  Government programs are totally confusing and overly complicated.  Social Security disability is no different. If you have questions about Social Security disability or how to qualify for it, we have answers.  And there is no cost to speak to us. The Forsythe Firm offers free consultations in our office, on the phone or by email.   We handle nothing but Social Security disability. It's all we do. You paid into the Social Security system with every paycheck.  The FICA tax withheld by your employer was used to pay for your disability benefit at Social Security.  If you now have a medical or mental impairment that will keep you off work for 12 months or more, you should claim SSDI benefits.   All Social Security representatives work on a contingency basis. We will not charge you a fee until you win your claim and collect past due benefits.  If you never win you will never pay us.  Guaranteed. While we handle claims for individual...

Social Security disability comes from a long, difficult process of applications and appeals.  Most cases will go before an Administrative Law Judge before a final decision is made.  Should you hire a local Social Security disability lawyer to help you?  Here are some reasons why you should: They Understand How to Work with Medical Providers One of the most important aspects of a disability claim is having medical evidence to support your case. Disability lawyers have experience working with medical providers to obtain the necessary evidence to support your claim. They can also help ensure that your medical records are complete and up-to-date, which can be critical to winning your case. Your lawyer can often obtain a favorable Residual Functional Capacity (RFC) report from your doctor which makes it easier to win benefits. They Can Help Gather Medical Evidence Gathering medical evidence can be a time-consuming, challenging and expensive process. Disabilit...