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Social Security Disability - How the Hearing Backlog Affects My Claim
By Becca Rode

There are lots of frustrations with applying for Social Security disability or SSI benefits. The paperwork is painstaking and repetitive, the staff are busy and often calloused, and it is difficult to determine what is going on with your disability claim. But the hardest part about applying for Social Security disability is the WAIT.

Sure, there are probably hundreds of thousands of claimants who aren't truly disabled, or are borderline cases, who clog up the system. But most disability applicants are good, honest individuals who are eventually labeled "disabled" and awarded benefits. Unfortunately, many disability or SSI applicants wait until the situation is desperate before applying for benefits, and then the long wait begins. It is hard, for some impossible, to get by while they wait to be approved for disability. And the point in the process when most disability applicants (61%) are approved--the hearing--requires the longest wait thus far.

So you ask, why am I still waiting for a disability hearing? It has been months, or even years, since my Request for Hearing was filed. The Social Security officials use excuses such as lack of funds, lack of workers, increasing caseload, and difficult-to-prove disabilities such as depression and anxiety. Even with $500 million in federal stimulus money, the Social Security disability program will take years to catch up on the hearing backlog. The number of disability recipients has more than doubled since 1990, and the number of workers has decreased by 5% since then. The wait time is now two times longer than in 2000, an average of almost 1.5 years. Meanwhile, disabled Americans struggle to survive the wait.

Is there anything that can be done? Very little, but there are a few things that can help:

First, make sure your application and appeal paperwork is filled out correctly. Thousands of disability applicants are denied on technicalities in their paperwork--missing dates, missing signatures, lack of doctor information, etc. Many disabled claimants are hiring disability attorneys to handle paperwork and phone calls for them, which can help avoid such problems.

Second, communicate with your doctor. Social Security will need medical evidence to show you are disabled. Speak with your doctor about your disability claim and ask for specific information on limitations such as lifting, sitting and standing, medication requirements,and especially work limitations, if applicable. If the doctor feels you are disabled or that your disability prevents you from keeping a job, have him/her write a narrative with these specifics and include it in your medical records to be sent to Social Security. Chart notes and medication lists are helpful, but narratives or letters addressing your specific disabled condition are much more powerful and can get you approved more quickly.

Third, communicate with Social Security. It is acceptable to call once or twice to check the status of your disability claim. Ask if there is anything missing in your file and if you can help get any documentation. Often, if a medical clinic neglects to send your records in, Social Security will send another request or two, then make a decision based on what they have in the file. This process can be avoided if you provide Social Security with your medical records beforehand. If your disability claim is denied, file your appeal immediately. The quicker you file the appeal, the quicker you will receive a decision.

Wherever you are in the disability process, best of luck.

Becca has been involved in the Social Security world since 1995 and enjoys watching the program change peoples' lives.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Becca_Rode

Social Security Disability Exam - What Should You Expect?
By Timothy Moore Platinum Quality Author

If you are filing for social security disability (SSD) or supplemental security income (SSI) benefits, you may have to submit to a consultative exam (CE), which is a physical or mental exam scheduled by the social security administration.

Not all individuals filing for SSD or SSI are required to go to a CE, but for those who have not been to a doctor within the last 60 days, or who have other medical conditions listed in their medical records for which they have not received prior treatment, a CE will in all likelihood be required before a disability examiner can render a decision on your claim.

A consultative medical exam is not scheduled for the purpose of prescribing medical treatment, nor is it a means to arrive at a diagnosis that will prove or disprove a medical disability. In fact, most CEs are fairly brief, and may last as little as 10 minutes, because their sole purpose is to meet the requirement that a disability examiner consider "recent medical evidence" before closing a case. In other words, it's more of a formality, and will not overrule the other medical evidence which a claimant has supplied to the social security administration in his or her medical history.

However, sometimes doctors' notes make reference to secondary medical conditions for which the claimant is not seeking benefits, such as depression, or insomnia, etc., fairly common complaints for those who are under the stress of dealing with chronic pain or fatigue, or for anyone who must consider leaving the workforce for that matter. If your physician has noted that you seem depressed or are suffering other mental symptoms for which you have not had treatment, your CE may consist of a mental exam, and yes, you must attend. Not only is not attending a scheduled CE grounds for denial of your disability claim, but it could also mean that you short yourself from receiving full compensation for any other impairments you might have. Either attend the scheduled CE or reschedule it if you are unable to make it that day.

Not all CEs are medical exams; some may require that a patient have recent medical tests to provide the disability examiner with a snapshot of their physical state as it is now. New X-rays, MRIs, or spirometry testing of pulmonary function may be required before a case is closed to show how your condition has improved, worsened, or if it remains stable.

One thing that you should prepare yourself for if you are scheduled for a consultative exam, and this is really word of mouth from those who have attended them before-many of the physicians who conduct CEs do not come off as the most caring individuals. While this is not true of all of them, to be sure, many social security disability claimants leave these exams feeling defensive, and that the doctor performing the exam doesn't really care about them, or even believe that they are disabled. If this is your experience, do not put to much stock into what the physician performing the CE thinks or doesn't think, because in the end it is really your treating physician's opinion that will be given the most weight by the disability examiner.

The author of this article is Timothy Moore, who, in addition to being a former food stamp caseworker, medicaid caseworker and AFDC caseworker, is a former disability claims examiner for the social security administration. He publishes information on his Social Security Disability Blog

Social Security Disability - Benefits & Eligibility
By Jitesh Arora Platinum Quality Author

Most people wish to work hard through their lives and lead a very cozy retired life. But many less fortunate ones among us fall prey to a plethora of physical and mental illness forcing them to rely on social security as their sole income source. Misfortune can strike anyone at any time without warning. So it is of paramount importance that one plan for any contingencies while he could work and earn. Keeping records of health and work details properly is the first step that will cut out a lot of pain when you are forced to apply for social security.

The social security administration keeps track of the work details of all employees above twenty five years of age. They generate yearly statements showing the total earnings and future benefits. The wages earned are usually covered by Social Security and Medicare as the employer deducts an amount from the salary and deposits the amount in social security funds. In case of self employed earning more than $400 every year, they have to pay a Social Security and Medicare tax along with income tax. Military personnel are also covered under Social Security benefits.

Earnings from pensions, interest or dividend income are not termed as earnings and hence does not attract social security taxes. These earnings are not taken into account while determining the eligibility of an applicant. Employees working under non-profitable organizations and government agencies that does not contribute to social security but pays for a pension plan find it difficult to earn many benefits under social security, as they are covered under pension plans. Even social security benefits of your spouse may be offset by two thirds if you are covered by governmental pension plans.

Due to the co-existence of both the schemes, a number of people working under the government were qualified for pensions from their respective agencies and also eligible for social security benefits for spouses even when they were not dependent on them. This anomaly was set right with the introduction of this offset. Social security spouse benefits are intended to provide succor to people who were dependent upon the incomes of their spouses working in jobs covered by social security plans and not as an additional income for already existing benefits.

If you want to know more about Social Security Disability Benefits then feel free to visit http://www.disabilityappeal.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jitesh_Arora

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