4 Reasons Why Disability Insurance Is Especially Important to Less-Educated Workers | Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

Social Security Disability Insurance (DI) — which pays modest but vital benefits to people with severe and long-lasting medical impairments who can no longer support themselves by working — is especially important to workers who’ve earned only a high-school diploma, or less (see graph). New research has identified several reasons why this group is far likelier to receive DI benefits than those who’ve gone to college.

Source: 4 Reasons Why Disability Insurance Is Especially Important to Less-Educated Workers | Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

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Social Security does make some allowances for people who have worked in manual labor jobs most of their lives and who are above 50 years of age. The system is complicated and you should consult with an experienced Social Security Disability lawyer. The good news is there is no cost until the lawyer wins the case for you.

New Tips for Your Social Security Disability Case

Social Security looks at your ability to function and attempts to apply it to the work setting.

Several ways to document your problems with daily functions are as follows:

  • Ask your doctor to complete a driver’s disability placard form from the Secretary of State. Make sure you ask for a copy of the completed form to provide to Social Security.
  • Ask your doctor to document any assistive device with a prescription, such as a cane, brace or walker.
  • If your doctor recommends elevating your legs or only lifting a certain amount of weight, ask the doctor to put it in writing for you.
  • Keep a simple log of headaches, seizures and their severity and length of time you are incapacitated.

Social Security is all about your medical records so make sure that you have official documentation of your problems.

Any objective testing will also help. This includes xrays, MRIs, EMGs, breathing tests, or heart tests.

Questions about how to make sure you have everything you need to prove your disability? Feel free to contact Illinois Social Security Lawyer Dirk May at 309-827-4371.

When Does the Average American Claim Social Security? | Business Markets and Stocks News | host.madison.com

The short answer is that the average American claims Social Security at 64.5 years of age. Most people claim at or before their full retirement age and less than 10%

Source: When Does the Average American Claim Social Security? | Business Markets and Stocks News | host.madison.com

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Interesting and informative article. There are several advantages to being found disabled pursuant to the Social Security Act. The first is that you are paid as though you retired at full retirement age. This avoids the early retirement penalty. The second is that you are entitled to Medicare benefits 30 months after your disability onset date. If you can no longer work you should meet with an experienced disability lawyer to file for Social Security Disability as soon as possible

Should You Apply for Social Security Disability?

Social Security Disability involves a complicated application process.

There is also usually a long waiting period before you are accepted.

The odds of being approved are not great.

All this to say that you should make sure that you truly cannot work a job before you apply for disability.

Monthly disability payments may range from $400 to $2500 depending on your earnings history.

So Social Security does not pay you a tremendous amount of money, however if you cannot work it is a wonderful safety net.

The other advantage of Social Security Disability is that eventually you will be entitled to Medicare.

The SSDI program has the added feature of allowing you to work part-time with a monthly earnings limit that changes every year.

This allows you to earn some money in addition to your disability payment.

The whole process may take up to 2 to 3 years, therefore you should make sure that your health definitely prevents you from working.

Many people work until they absolutely cannot continue and then file.

Before you stop working you should ask your doctors for the proper testing to document your conditions such as xrays, MRIs, nerve testing, or breathing tests.

This will provide objective evidence of your condition and support your claim.

Questions about winning your disability claim? Feel free to contact Illinois Social Security Disability Attorney Dirk May at 309-827-4371.

New rules go into effect for Social Security disability claims | Fox 59

WASHINGTON D.C. — It may soon be harder to file a disability claim with the Social Security Administration.New regulations, which went into effect on Monday, are eliminating the so-called “treating-physician rule.”Until now, the rule required benefits adjudicators to give significant weight to a physician’s report supporting an applicant’s claim for benefits.

Source: New rules go into effect for Social Security disability claims | Fox 59

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The truth is that Administrative Law Judges have been ignoring the treating physician’s opinion for years. The rule will just embolden this behavior. How is it possible to give weight to a doctor who is paid from SSA, has never seen the claimant and only relies on the medical records.