Help

The new year is a good time to regroup and reflect on some positive ways to change our lives.

If you are unable to work or having serious difficulty working, then it is good time to explore whether Social Security Disability is for you.

Some good resolutions to follow regarding your condition:

1. File your application. Social Security Disability takes a long time. Currently, in Central Illinois it takes over 18 months from filing till
hearing before an administrative law judge. Waiting only makes the process longer and may result in losing benefits.

2. Get an experienced Social Security Disability lawyer. It does not cost any money up front. Your lawyer only gets paid if you win.
Why mess around with a complicated system. It is difficult to understand why the Judge is asking you the questions at the hearing, and it is
almost impossible to question the Vocational Expert effectively if you are not a lawyer.

3. Make sure you go to your doctor early and often. You cannot win without the proper documentation from your doctors regarding your symptoms
and limitations.

4. Tell your doctor what is happening. Your doctor cannot read your mind. Explain what is happening to you and how it effects your daily activities.

5. Do not give up. If you are really disabled, then there is no alternative. You must keep appealing. I have seen some people who are in great pain
who never gave up and ultimately were granted benefits.

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

Can you win a Social Security Disability case if you suffer from Migraines?

The answer is maybe.

The severity of your condition is what determines whether you are disabled.

The Administrative Law Judge will be trying to decide whether your migraines are so severe that they keep you from doing any kind of job at all.

The type of evidence you will need includes doctors’ records that show multiple complaints of migraines with little to no relief from your medications.

If your medications control your migraines, then you are not disabled.

You will also need emergency room records that show the need of pain medications to address out of control headaches.

Medical tests may be helpful to isolate the problem or rule out other conditions.

You will also need to testify to the frequency and severity of your migraines.

Such as, I have migraines twice a week. I need to lay down in a dark room and I am sick to my stomach. My headaches last for 12 hours even when I take my medications. They keep me from being able to focus, read, and communicate with others.

The purpose is to show that you will miss multiple days of work each month, and you will be off task at work a high percentage of the day because of your migraines.

Supportive letters from friends or family describing your symptoms are helpful.

A report from your doctor detailing your symptoms and prognosis is also very helpful.

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

Spend some time around the Social Security Disability world and you will quickly understand that it does not reflect reality.

The way Social Security decides if you are disabled seems foreign in many ways.

The initial focus is on your medical problems, but the real issue for the Administrative Law Judge is the limitations you have as a result of your medical conditions.

Such as how long can you stand and sit, how far can you walk, how much can you lift, how often can you reach, and how often can you handle and finger items.

Another big area for review is what kind of work can you do.

The basis for determining what work is available and the job requirements is the Dictionary of Occupational Titles.

This is a publication that is over 30 years old and was last updated some 22 years ago.

You think job processes have changed in the last 22 years?

How is that for reality?

The Vocational consultants who testify at hearings about the DOT and jobs are people who deal with the Social Security Judges on a regular basis, and understand the Judges biases and leanings.

The Judges do not take into account the economic climate, the medications you need to take while working, or how much money you will make.

The reality is that if you apply for a job in this economy and are in your 40’s and up and have a serious medical condition then there is little to no chance you will be hired.

Social Security does not take any of these factors into account. The only thing that matters to them is your ability to perform a job. Not whether you cannot drive to work, or there are no jobs in your region, or whether you used to make $20 an hour and now can only make $8.25 an hour.

It is important to understand the rules and how to use them to your advantage.

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