DISABILITY SURVIVAL GUIDE: NORTH ALABAMA EDITION

4 THINGS THAT STOP YOUR SSDI BENEFITS Once  you finally get Social Security disability benefits, they are not necessarily permanent. They can last for as long as you are medically disabled.  However, there are 4 ways you may loose SSDI benefits: 1.  Medical Recovery.  Your condition improves to the point you no longer meet Social Security's rules for disability. 2.  You Go Back to Work.  If you return to work at substantial gainful activity (SGA) your benefits will stop.  In 2025 you are at SGA if you work and earn at least $1,620 per month in wages. 3.  Reaching Full Retirement Age (FRA).  Upon reaching FRA, your Social Security disability benefit will automatically convert to old age pension (retirement) benefits.  You still get paid but it is not longer for "disability." 4.  Death ends a Social Security disability benefit.

  10  Best Ways to Ruin Your Disability Hearing: 1.  Go unprepared--without knowing what to expect and what you have to prove. 2.  Lie or exaggerate your symptoms. 3.  Use medical terms without explaining how your disease affects your ability to work. 4.  Try to convince the judge that you really need the benefits. 5.  Complain about past denials and how unfair they were. 6.  Admit that you sometimes still work under the table. 7.  Tell the judge that no one will hire you (for one reason or another). 8.  Be unable to give the date when you stopped working or became unable to work. 9.  Cry or emotionally break down during the hearing.  It happens but judges hate it and it never helps your case. 10.  Save money and refuse to hire a lawyer to help you.  After all, the lawyer could get 25 percent of your back pay if you win.  No need to get an expert. Save that 25 percent and just assume that you can do as well as ...

What type of lawyer can help you with Social Security disability?   Social Security Disability lawyers have the experience, knowledge, and resources to help ensure that your application is accurate and to advocate for your rights every step of the way--from application through appeals. Here are a few things a disability lawyer  can do for you: Evaluate your claim to see if you meet the essential requirements. Apply Social Security law to your claim to decide how best to go forward. Decide on a legal theory of your case with the best chance to get you paid. Contact doctors and medical providers to get appropriate evidence. Submit evidence of disability to Social Security in a timely manner. Make legal arguments why Social Security should approve your claim.  These may be based on: Medical Vocational Guidelines The Social Security Listings Your Residual Functional Capacity  Answer objections Social Security makes about your case. Write documents to decision makers ...

  You see them everywhere:  billboards, magazines, TV ads.  Out-of-state law firms offering to help you with Social Security disability claims.  Over my years in practice, I have dealt with dozens of clients who hired a long distance law firm to help them get disability.  In nearly every case, they were disappointed. Here's what the long distance or remote law firms don't tell you: You won't meet your lawyer until last minute - at the hearing.  Your lawyer may be changed/switched several times during the case.  You may not be handled by a lawyer at all - but by an assistant.  It may be very difficult to get your lawyer on the phone. The person you think is representing you may not be the person who shows up for your hearing. You won't get to know your representative or lawyer in advance.  The lawyer may not be available for help or questions after your hearing. There are many advantages to hiring a local lawyer to represent you in  Socia...

2025 is really a great year to apply for Social Security disability. The Social Security Administration will pay benefits to more than 400,000 new disability claimants this year. WHAT WILL ENABLE YOU TO GET SSDI BENEFITS? There are a few basic requirements to apply for Social Security Disability in 2025: You have not yet reached your full retirement age (67 for most folks) You are currently not able to work and are not working full-time You are under medical treatment for a severe, disabling condition which has lasted or will last for at least 12 straight months You have worked at least 5 years out of the last 10 years to obtain the minimum "work credits" needed for SSDI While the process of being approved for SSDI is rigorous, hundreds of thousands of claimants will be approved in 2025 and may receive a monthly benefit check plus Medicare which helps pay for expensive medical treatment. Many will receive thousands of dollar$ in back pay. You may qualify for legal represe...

Here's a question we get quite often: " I was approved for Social Security disability (SSDI) 2 years ago.  Since then my medical conditions have become much worse.  Will this increase the amount of my benefit?" No, Social Security benefits do not increase because your medical conditions get worse.   When Social Security awards you benefits they assume that you are totally disabled, since they do not give any benefits for partial disability. Thus, when you begin receiving SSDI benefits you get the full amount, not a partial benefit.