Lawyers

One important factor in most Social Security Disability cases is explaining your pain to the Administrative Law Judge.

You can break it down into different areas such as:

What is is like? Do you ache? Is it a shooting pain?

Where is it? Does your back pain run down your leg? What parts of your body are affected?

How often does your pain occur, and how long does the pain last?

What aggravates or causes your pain? What is your best position for dealing with the pain?

How does your pain limit you? How does it affect your sitting, standing, walking and lifting? Does it reduce your daily activities?

How do your medications deal with the pain? Do you have any side effects from the medications, such as fatigue or loss of concentration?

What is a bad pain day like? On average how many bad pain days do you have in a week?

The more descriptive and concrete you can be, the better so the Social Security Judge will understand exactly what you are dealing with on a daily basis.

I spend much of my time helping people get their Social Security Disability Benefits they have paid for.

Depression and other mental health conditions are often very disabling.

Social Security recognizes mental conditions alone, and in combination with physical problems, as grounds for finding someone disabled.

Medical evidence is very important in Social Security Disability cases. In mental health cases this means it is crucial that you see a psychiatrist and counselor. You must treat on a regular basis, and take your medications as prescribed.

The basic standard for deciding whether you are disabled is whether your illness keeps you from working full time. The Social Security Judge will focus on limitations caused by your condition. Such as reduced productivity due to lack of concentration, fatigue, inability to follow instructions and carry out daily activities.

Other important factors are hospitalizations, side effects from medications, and the opinions of your psychiatrists and counselors.

Please feel free to contact me, Bloomington, Illinois Social Security Attorney Dirk May, to discuss to best way to present your mental health case to the Social Security Administration.

Social Security Disability is really a survival situation.

You must hang in there until the hearing is held, and a Judge reviews your medical records and listens to your testimony.

You must get your medical treatment while you wait. It may seem like you cannot afford to get treatment, but if you do not go to the doctor then you will most likely lose.

Thinking you are saving some money by not going to the doctor is foolish.

If you are truly disabled, then you will have to seek medical treatment.

Testimony about your pain and limitations is not enough. There must be medical records to support your complaints.

Questions about medical treatment and Social Security Disability? Call Illinois Social Security Lawyer Dirk May at 309-827-4371.

If the Social Security Disability Judge thinks you can work, then you in most cases you are not disabled (when you are over 50 years old different rules apply).

What kind of work counts to Social Security? Any type of work counts. Even if you can only work a minimum wage job, this will disqualify you. Social Security does not require a liveable wage. Currently, gross wages over $970.00 per month is considered substantial gainful employment.

Social Security also does not require the jobs to be located in your home town. If the jobs are located in Illinois that is good enough. As a practical matter this is ridiculous, but that is the law.

Social Security does not care what the unemployment rate is in your area. The only thing they look at is whether you have the ability to perform the job.

As you can see it is pretty difficult to overcome this standard.

That is why it is important to know what kind of questions to ask the vocational expert.

Questions about this? Call me, Illinois Social Security Lawyer Dirk May, at 309-827-4371.