BIGGER SOCIAL SECRITY BENEFIT FOR 2026

October 24, 2025: Today, Social Security announced a 2.8% benefit increase for 2026. This will increase the average monthly Social Security benefit for disability beneficiaries from $1,586 to $1,630. The COLA will take effect beginning in January 2026.

During the third week of October each year the Social Security Administration announces a Cost of Living (COLA) increase that will take effect the following January.

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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...

RED FLAGS IN SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY CASES

RED FLAGS IN A SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY CASE A red flag is something that causes concern or raises a problem in a Social Security disability case. In short, it’s something that may get the claim denied or cause a big problem. Here are some of the red flags that we see crop up: · Work after the alleged onset date (AOD). Since the process takes so long, many claimants feel that they are forced to return to work for income. Social Security often sees this as a sign that the claimant is not disabled. · Severe substance abuse. Chronic and frequent abuse of drugs or alcohol can pose problems. · A skimpy work record. A claimant who has worked very little or has jumped from job to job frequently may not have good credibility. · Quitting wo...

DISABILITY SURVIVAL GUIDE: NORTH ALABAMA EDITION

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