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Applying for Disability Benefits

By Chad H on Tuesday , August 5th , 2014 in Disability Application, Disability Benefits /

When applying for disability, the disability application forms ask you to describe your impairments, whether physical or mental, what treatments you have received, medications you are taking, and how your impairment(s) affect your ability to work. It is important to be specific and thorough when filling out this application. When you first submit an application for Read More…

Initial Application Denied… Now What?

By Chad H on Sunday , August 3rd , 2014 in Disability Application, Disability Benefits /

After your initial disability application is reviewed by a DDS examiner, you’ll receive notice in the mail stating whether you were approved or denied for benefits. If you were denied, you have the right to request – asking the DDS to look at your claim again. You have 60 days to file this appeal. Just because your claim Read More…

Vision loss disability

By Chad H on Wednesday , July 2nd , 2014 in Disability Benefits, Specific Illness /

Vision loss does not have to be complete blindness to qualify for disability benefits. According to the Social Security Administration, visual disorders are “abnormalities of the eye, the optic nerve, the optic tracts, or the brain that may cause a loss of visual acuity or visual fields.” Some of the vision conditions that may qualify Read More…

Back injuries and disability

By Chad H on Wednesday , July 2nd , 2014 in Disability Benefits, Specific Illness /

Back injury claims are the most common physical ailment that the SSA addresses because most people experience back pain at some point in their lives. In order to receive disability benefits for a back injury, you must meet the list of impairments definition for disorders of the spine; such as degenerative disc disease, spinal stenosis, spinal Read More…

Neurologic Disorders

By Chad H on Monday , June 30th , 2014 in Disability Benefits, Specific Illness /

Neurologic Disorders can include multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy, cerebral palsy, brain tumors or brain injuries among others. The Social Security Administration’s list of impairments includes guidelines for which neurological disabilities are acceptable, and what constitutes a disability to be severe enough for a person to be considered disabled. Generally, you must meet these guidelines: Your disability will be long Read More…

Medical-Vocational Allowance

By Chad H on Saturday , June 28th , 2014 in Disability Benefits, Terms & Definitions /

Frequently a claimant has a disabling condition that does not meet a listing in the Social Security List of Impairments. That does not mean you aren’t eligible for disability benefits. You may still be approved for benefits because of a medical-vocational allowance. A medical-vocational allowance takes into consideration your condition and how it affects factors related to your Read More…

Unemployment and Disability Benefits

By Chad H on Tuesday , June 17th , 2014 in Disability Application, Disability Benefits /

Most people cannot collect both unemployment and disability benefits at the same time. Although the SSA claims receiving unemployment does not prevent you from also receiving disability benefits, there are reasons why receiving unemployment while applying for disability could work against you. When you receive unemployment, you are stating that you are ready and able to return to Read More…

Social Security List of Impairments

By Chad H on Tuesday , June 17th , 2014 in Disability Benefits, Terms & Definitions /

When evaluating a condition, the disability examiner consults the Social Security List of Impairments, sometimes called the “blue book.” Within each category there is a statement describing the disorder and criteria. The examiner determines if the claimant fits the category according to diagnosis and severity based on the claimants’ functional limitations. If the impairment is Read More…

What is ODAR?

By Chad H on Tuesday , June 17th , 2014 in Disability Benefits, Disability Hearing /

The Office of Disability Adjudication and Review is most often referred to as ODAR. The office is responsible for holding hearings and making decisions to determine whether a claimant is eligible to receive disability benefits after they’ve been denied DDS. ODAR only receives your case after both your initial application and your first appeal have been denied by Read More…