In their continuing efforts to improve the efficiency of the Social Security disability system for those who have the most obviously debilitating or terminal conditions, the Social Security Administration (SSA) has recently added twelve more conditions to its Compassionate Allowances Listings.
Somewhere in the midst of wrangling over the debt ceiling and arguing over how to reduce our national spending while increasing our national revenues, Social Security benefits got thrown into the mix.
There has been a lot of talk coming out of Washington lately regarding how the debate over raising the nation’s debt limit could affect Social Security benefits if an agreement isn’t reached. For millions of Americans who depend on Social Security benefits, including many of the nation’s poor and middle class citizens, this rhetoric is causing a great deal of anxiety. What will people who depend on Social Security benefits do if checks can’t continue to be issued on the 3rd of the month?
Northern Indiana attorney Thomas Scully has recently written to local newspapers and Internet media outlets expressing concern for Social Security disability claimants. At the heart of Scully’s concerns is the fact that the SSA appears to have shut down its Office of Disability Adjudication and Review (ODAR) in the Miller area. This office had previously served Social Security disability claimants from Gary, Hammond, and East Chicago.
If you’re reading this, chances are you already know that applying for Social Security disability benefits can be a long, grueling process. The vast majority of claims are denied in the initial stages, with over 70% being turned down initially.
Most people who are granted Social Security disability benefits are approved for benefits at some stage of the appeals process. Of these, the overwhelming majority have their benefits approved during their disability hearing before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ).
