Blog posts

A front-page article in the New York Times created quite a stir last week, resulting in a flurry of state and federal investigations which have led to the suspension of Administrative Law Judge (ALJ), David B. Daughtery, who formerly served in the Social Security Administration (SSA)’s office in Huntington, West Virginia. The article revealed that Daugherty approved 100% of the 729 cases he has heard so far this fiscal year. Furthermore, Daugherty approved 1280 of the 1284 cases he reviewed last year.

Myasthenia Gravis is among the many autoimmune diseases that are highly unpredictable, undetectable, and incurable. Because there is so little known about the cause and cure for this disease, the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America has made June Myasthenia Gravis Awareness Month in an effort to raise awareness and funds to continue research.

For those involved in the process of applying for disability, it is a well-known fact that the appeal process after receiving a denial of social security benefits can take a long time. In the last several years, the wait has become even longer, often over a year. There are many reasons for the increase in cases, some of which are the aging of the baby boomer generation, and the federal budget cuts imposed in an effort to reduce the national debt.

Claimants filing for a review of their Social Security Disability case face many obstacles. Although it is true that a larger percent of cases are accepted once they are put through the appeal process, it can take years to finally get a hearing because of the backlog of cases in the system. To add to this, it is well-documented that judges at some SSA hearing offices are more likely to reject disability cases than others, an apparent injustice that continues to result in law suits all across the country.

We have all heard the whispers and rumors regarding Social Security benefits and the reform of the current Social Security system. Analysts are saying that the system will run out of money eventually. When will this happen, and where does that leave those of us who have paid into the system if Social Security goes bankrupt before we retire? What happens to those who are currently receiving Social Security Disability and retirement benefits if the Social Security Administration (SSA) goes broke?