Social Disability Lawyer Blog

Stay up to date with the latest news in the world of social disability law provided by the Los Angeles based Law Office of Irene Ruzin.

How to prove to the SSA that you can’t do work

How to prove to the SSA that you can’t do work

The Social Security Disability claims are granted on very strict merits. These include fulfilling both medical and non-medical requirements. It is the responsibility of the SSA examiner to ensure that you are completely disabled, before granting you the Social Security Disability benefits. While analyzing your application for non-medical qualificat...

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How to live under a budget on SSDI

How to live under a budget on SSDI

Unlike Supplemental Security Income, SSI the Social Security Disability benefits are only granted for people above the stated income threshold, i.e., $1360 as of 2019. People who earn below that income may qualify for the Supplemental Security Income that is purely a need-based program. Although both programs are run under the federal rule, they di...

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Social Security: Benefits for Veterans

Social Security: Benefits for Veterans

Veterans are an important asset of the country and the U.S. government has always protected veteran's benefits through federal and state laws. Earnings through active duty veterans or under training veterans are taxed and counted the same way as civilians under Social Security. However, the benefits may vary a little depending on their situation. S...

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Can I keep workers compensation benefits with social security?

Can I keep workers compensation benefits with social security?

Yes, you can keep both worker's compensation benefits and social security benefits together. This is of course only when you qualify for both social security disability insurance benefits and worker's compensation benefits. Since these are both separate programs under federal government, you don't need to give up one to avail benefits from another....

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What are FICA taxes and why do they matter?

What are FICA taxes and why do they matter?

FICA taxes are not new, but few workers actually know what goes on when a fixed amount on their paychecks is taxed. On most U.S. Employees paychecks, most employees would see terms and conditions including the net amount of the check. The net amount is usually the amount after deduction of all FICA taxes. Almost all of the taxes listed below would ...

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Social security: Substantial gainful activity

Social security: Substantial gainful activity

In assessing whether you qualify non-medically, the Social Security Administration (SSA) will initially look to whether you are right now working. In the event that you are working with low income wages below the stated threshold and not procuring a high income, you won't consequently be denied disability benefits, however completing a considerable...

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Are your social security benefits taxed?

Are your social security benefits taxed?

Social security disability program is an insurance program based on FICA taxes collected through your paychecks. Most social security claimants are not taxed. In fact, only one-third of the claimants actually end up paying taxes on their SSDI claims. Also, the benefits from a supplemental security income, SSI are rarely taxed ever. This is because ...

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Non medical requirements for your SSDI claims

Non medical requirements for your SSDI claims

The Social Security Disability is a rigorous process that grants social security claims after analyzing both medical and non-medical pre-requisites for each person. The non-medical requirements may include work credits, or a specific number of years you worked in substantial gainful activity, SGA or at least 5 years of social security taxes paid (d...

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5 things that happen at a social security hearing

5 things that happen at a social security hearing

If is often said that renewing a social security claim is easier than qualifying for the social security claim in the first place. Almost 60% of the social security claims are denied, however, not all of the denied claims means they can't be claimed in another attempt. That is why, if your case was denied you have the options for a hearing from an ...

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Social Security: Benefits for survivors

Social Security: Benefits for survivors

Losing a family member to social security can be hard enough. The devastation can prove even more cumbersome if the family has to deal with unforeseen financial issues along with the emotional turmoil. Fortunately, the Social Security Administration provides social security benefits to survivors of a disabled spouse. The SSA may also grant social s...

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How many work credits do I need to qualify for SSDI?

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The Social Security Disability Insurance, SSDI program is one of the most inclusive federal benefits program that includes people of all categories as opposed to the Medicare and Supplemental Security Income, SSI, that only consider people of low income wage. To qualify for social security disability benefits you need to have worked in jobs listed ...

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5 social security changes for 2019

5 social security changes for 2019

Every year the Social Security Administration, SSA proposes changes to the social security benefits program in October – the changes take in effect from next January. The best thing about social security programs is they are adjusted accordingly to inflation rates. That means that your benefits will increase as the cost of living increases. Below w...

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Income sources that may earn you work credits for social security

Income sources that may earn you work credits for social security

While the types of benefits received under each of the 'currently insured' and 'fully insured' status of a disabled person on social security disability benefits may vary one thing is for certain: you need to have enough high earning each year for a consecutive 10 years period to be able to acquire any of these statuses. Here is a good news, you do...

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Eligibility for social security through currently ensured

Eligibility for social security through currently ensured

In order to be eligible for getting benefits under Social Security Disability Insurance, you must meet the specific guideline for work credits and insurance stated by the Social Security Administration, SSA. To be insured means you have sufficient number of work credits as your work record. The work credits need to be from jobs where you paid your ...

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Social Security Survivor benefits after the death of the disabled person

Spouse survival benefits

If a disabled person getting benefits under Social Security Disability Insurance program dies and leaves behind dependents who were previously eligible and recipients of the auxiliary benefits, may continue to receive the benefits even after the death of the disabled person. Let's face this: death is inevitable, it is not easy but it becomes even m...

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Getting disability benefits for your dependents

Getting disability benefits for your dependents

Bad news is, qualifying for social security disability insurance, SSDI in 2019 has become even harder. Good news is, if you qualify for SSDI benefits, your dependents including children or a spouse may also get some benefits under your SSDI benefits program known as auxiliary benefits or dependents benefits. Workers and employers who have paid the ...

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Tips for filing a request with an administrative law judge

Tips for filing a request with an administrative law judge

A reconsideration appeal after a CDR denial is easier to be accepted than getting your application for SSDI application accepted in the first place. However, whether your SSDI benefits were denied at the stage of applying or after a CDR process, you have these options for reconsideration: Level 1: Apply for reconsiderationLevel 2: Apply for an inde...

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What to do if you get a CDR?

What to do if you get a CDR?

What to do if you get a CDR? The Social Security Administration has long used CDR for evaluating a person's benefits for further grants or discontinuation. Despite running periodical reviews, the CDR has a long and clean record of running review processes to prevent fraud and abuse of the benefits. It ensures that the benefits are only available to...

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Continuing Disability Review (CDR)

Continuing Disability Review, CDR

A continuing disability review is a process conducted by the Social Security Administration, SSA – It is mainly done to analyze that the people receiving the benefits are still disabled or meet the disability eligibility for continuing the benefits. If during a CDR, the Social Security Administration finds that you don't meet the eligibility condit...

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Would I lose benefits if I do freelance work while on SSDI?

Can I lose ssdi benefits if I earn partime through freelancing

The social security disability is a federally administered insurance program that pays you cash benefits if you have a disability that makes you unemployable or unable to do sufficient work to gain income within the substantial gainful activity (SGA) edge. This means that if you have worked for a sufficient amount of time (40 quarterly financial wo...

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