When a Social Security Disability applicant files a claim for Social Security Disability benefits, there are a number of “stages” that this claim goes through. When the applicant’s claim is first filed, it is handled by one of the SSA’s field offices and then once the field office is done with the claim, another agency (usually referred to as Disability Determination Services of DDS) handles the remainder of the claim processing.
February is Heart Health Month and it is a topic that warrants a significant amount of interest due to the severity of heart disease in our nation and its prevalence worldwide. Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death across the globe. In many cases, the people who suffer from a heart-related illness are unable to work due to the symptoms that are caused by the disease and/or the effects of the treatments and/or surgery that are required to address the illness.
When an individual qualifies for Social Security Disability benefits, that individual receives a set monthly payment to help them meet their basic living expenses. When an individual is incapable of managing their own finances, the Social Security Administration determines that a representative payee should be responsible for managing the disability payments that are provided to a disability recipient and manage the expenses of the recipient in question.
Social Security Disability benefits are not easy to get. Anyone who has ever been through the disability claim process understands this fully. It would be nice to think that once those benefits begin, the battle is over. Unfortunately, for some disability recipients, a new battle begins when disability payments start – a battle against fraud and misuse of their disability income.
When you are appealing the SSA’s decision to deny your disability benefits the process can be stressful and overwhelming. You may spend months or even years waiting for the date of your disability hearing to arrive and then when the day comes, you want everything to go perfectly. Understandably, you are likely facing a great deal of stress on this day and there may be things that you forget to mention to the administrative law judge during the course of your hearing.
