With enrollment in Social Security Disability programs skyrocketing, and the Social Security Administration (SSA) staring down a potential solvency crisis in as little as seven years, every little bit of money the SSA can save, they’re going to save. Phasing out paper checks for Social Security Disability benefits is expected to save the SSA a hefty one billion dollars over the course of the next ten years.
Which states would you need to visit if you wanted to find the top 10 zip codes for Social Security Disability benefits? While New Jersey and Wyoming are the two most generous states in terms of approved Social Security Disability benefits, you could visit nine of the top ten zip codes for SSDI approval rates without visiting either of them. As a matter of fact, you could visit nine of the top ten zip codes for SSDI payments without visiting a single US state.
It may sound hard to believe, but it’s true. Nine of the top ten zip codes in terms of SSDI beneficiaries are found in the US territory of Puerto Rico. The acceptance rate of Social Security Disability claims is an incredible 63%. When you consider that only about 30% of initial Social Security Disability claims are accepted country-wide, it really makes you wonder what’s happening on the little island territory.
It has certainly made the Social Security Administration (SSA) wonder, at the very least. While states and territories are allowed, within the SSA’s guidelines, to make their own determinations regarding who is and is not awarded disability benefits, SSDI is a federal program. With Puerto Rico’s acceptance rate decidedly higher than the rest of the country, the SSA has sent in an investigative team headed up by the Office of the Inspector General to determine the reason.
Because the Puerto Rico Social Security Disability acceptance rate has nearly doubled in recent years, one theory is that the territory has widespread disability fraud. It is believed this may be a symptom of the island’s longstanding double digit unemployment rate. Puerto Rico currently has more than 15% unemployment, and has struggled with double digit inflation for over 30 years.
It’s important to note that while fraud is being considered as a likely cause in the rapid increase in SSDI recipients in Puerto Rico, that the investigation has not been conducted yet, and the Inspector General has not yet officially determined that fraud is a major factor. The Inspector General is expected to look at a number of other considerations as well in determining the root cause for the disproportionately high number of SSDI recipients in Puerto Rico.
As the number of people enrolled in Social Security Disability programs skyrockets across the country, we can expect that the SSA will begin to take a closer look at the inconsistent methods used to determine who is and who isn’t qualified for SSDI and other Social Security Disability programs. Other states with high approval rates are also likely to be scrutinized if their acceptance rates are significantly higher than the national average.
While the Office of the Inspector General has been quietly working on SSDI fraud cases since its inception in the mid ‘90s, including many cases in Puerto Rico, this current probe was largely in response to an article in The Wall Street Journal which highlighted the lack of consistency in the SSDI program from one state or US territory to the next. The report in particularly focuses on how much easier it seemed to be for applicants to be approved for Social Security Disability in Puerto Rico than in other US states and territories.
The amount of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits you are entitled to if you are found to be completely disabled by the Social Security Administration (SSA) is based on the full amount of retirement benefits you are eligible for. You can not receive both disability benefits and retirement benefits at the same time. If you qualify for disability benefits, your benefits will automatically be changed to retirement benefits when you are old enough for full retirement.
The Office of General Council is the Social Security Administration (SSA) agency that is responsible for overseeing and advising the SSA on legal issues regarding the programs administered by the SSA. Because Social Security Disability is one of the programs that the Office of General Counsel handles, this agency can have a significant impact on your application for Social Security Disability benefits.
Chances are that you will not have any direct contact with the Office of General Counsel. While it is very rare for a Social Security Disability applicant to interact with the Office of General Counsel, it is important to understand what this agency does and the responsibilities it handles.
The Office of General Counsel is the agency that is in charge of putting policies and procedures into place that will affect the outcome of your Social Security Disability claim. These policies ensure that the SSA complies with the laws that govern the Social Security Disability program and that certain rights of Social Security Disability applicants are protected.
There are three main divisions of the Office of General Counsel including the Office of General Law, the Office of Program Law and the Office of Privacy and Disclosure. Each of these offices is headed by an Associate General Counsel. There are also Regional Chief Counsels who oversee each of the ten SSA regions.
In addition to putting policies and laws into place that affect the Social Security Disability program, The Office of General Counsel is also in charge of protecting the privacy and information of Social Security Disability applicants. The IT department that is managed by this agency maintains the data and data systems for the SSA, ensuring that the personal information provided by Social Security Disability applicants is not compromised or obtained by unauthorized third parties.
When a Social Security Disability applicant is approved for disability benefits, the recipient must undergo periodic reviews of their disability case. These reviews are intended to ensure that the recipient is still disabled and continues to meet the ongoing requirements in order to receive Social Security Disability benefits.
When the recipient is approved for Social Security Disability benefits, a medical diary is set up for the recipient. Once the recipient has received their first review, a diary date is set up for the next continuing disability review. The reason behind these diary dates is to determine whether or not a disability recipient's condition has improved at the time of each diary date. If no improvement is noted and the recipient is still determined to be disabled, no change will be made to the individual's Social Security Disability benefits. If, however, the Social Security Administration (SSA) determines that an improvement has occurred and the individual can return to performing substantial gainful activity, the individual's disability benefits will stop.
When a diary date results in a continuing disability review and that review that finds that an applicant's condition has improved and the individual can return to work, the Social Security Disability payments do not stop immediately. The applicant is given three months of continuing disability payments to provide them with enough time to find a job and make the adjustment to work activity.
How often these diary dates occur depends on the severity of the individual's condition and how likely it is that the condition will improve at some point in the future. If there is little to no likelihood of improvement, the recipient's diary dates are normally set seven years apart. If, however, there is a chance for improvement of the recipient's disabling condition, the individual's diary dates may be set three years apart or even less.
While you do have to cooperate with your continuing eligibility reviews and the diary dates that are set for you, you should not worry that a review will result in the termination of your disability benefits unless a significant improvement has been made to your condition. In order to terminate your Social Security Disability benefits, the SSA must be able to prove that you have experienced a drastic improvement to your condition.
When the Social Security Administration (SSA) refers to a disability applicant's Date of Onset, they are referring to the date that a Social Security Disability applicant became disabled. When you fill out your Social Security Disability claim forms, you will be asked to provide the date your disability began.
It is important to understand that this is only a temporary “alleged” date of onset and the actual date of onset may be adjusted once the SSA has reviewed and processed your Social Security Disability claim.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) considers the date that you submit your application for Social Security Disability benefits to be your Date of Filing. It is important that you understand that your Date of Filing is different from your Protected Filing Date. If you made your intent to file a disability claim known to the SSA before you actually filed your disability claim, that date is known as your Protected Filing Date. The Date of Filing is the date that you actually officially file your claim for disability benefits with the SSA.
When applying for Social Security Disability benefits, your Date of Entitlement will play a large role in determining when your disability payments will begin. This date is the date that the Social Security Administration (SSA) determines that you are eligible to begin receiving disability payments. The type of disability assistance you are applying for and the steps you took prior to applying will play a role in your specific Date of Entitlement.
When applying for Social Security Disability benefits, there are a number of criteria that must be met in order for your disability claim to be approved by the Social Security Administration (SSA). In addition to suffering from a long-term or permanent disability that completely prevents you from performing any type of work activity, you must also meet a number of other requirements including sufficient work credits and eligibility for disability insured status.
When referring to Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits, many people confuse the actual meaning of the term “Date First Insured”. Contrary to what some may believe, an individual's Date First Insured has nothing to do with whether or not they medically qualify for Social Security Disability payments. Instead, the term “Date First Insured” refers to the date that a person is first able to be insured under the Social Security program.
When an individual obtains employment and earns wages, he or she pays into the Social Security system through FICA premiums, which are automatically deducted from their paychecks. This does not mean, however, that an individual becomes eligible for disability benefits from day one of paying these FICA premiums. In most cases, a person must work for five of the last ten years before being able to qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance benefits.
When an individual files a claim for Social Security Disability benefits, the Social Security Administration (SSA) will look at whether or not the individual is insured under the SSDI program. This is determined by looking at the Date First Insured. This date will determine whether or not the applicant has worked long enough and paid enough into the FICA system to qualify for SSDI benefits. If the applicant has not been working long enough to not qualify for SSDI benefits, that applicant will not be approved for SSDI payments no matter how severe their disability may be.
If an Social Security Disability applicant does not qualify for SSDI payments because they have not yet worked long enough or paid enough into the FICA system to reach their Date First Insured, they may be able to qualify for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits, which is a needs-based disability program. For SSI benefits, the Date First Insured does not play a factor in determining program eligibility.
