When considering an application for Social Security disability benefits (or if you’ve started an initial application already), it is not always clearmay not be (or may not have been) apparent what types of issues should be presented to the Social Security Administration (SSA). One of the commonly overlooked problems that…
Articles Posted in The Basics of Social Security Disability Law
Requesting a Residual Functional Capacity from your Treating Physician
In our prior blog post we discussed how important it is to obtain supportive residual functional capacity questionnaires from one’s treating physicians. In this follow-up blog, we’ll advice you as to the best way to go about requesting these forms from your doctors. First, and of primary importance, it’s important…
The Importance of Residual Functional Capacity Questionnaires from one’s Treating Physician
When proceeding with a Social Security disability claim or appeal, one of the most important considerations moving forward is whether your treating physician understands the seriousness of your medical conditions and the extent to which your problems are impacting your ability to function (both in and out of the home).…
How Substance Abuse can Adversely Impact one’s Social Security Disability Claim
The issue of substance abuse can come up in a variety of ways as part of a Social Security disability claim. It might be a circumstance, very routine in this day and age, where somebody is taking too much of their narcotic medication. Or, one might be taking medications that…
Can you Collect Social Security Disability Benefits for Chronic Pain?
It is extremely common for individuals applying for Social Security disability benefits to be experiencing problems with chronic pain, as one might imagine. There are a panoply of medical conditions that could the cause of such symptoms, whether it’s from a degenerative disk disease in one’s back or neck, or,…
Collecting Social Security Disability Benefits and your Date Last Insured
To those who do not practice Social Security disability law, the acronym DLI (which stands for “Date Last Insured”) does not mean much. However, if you are looking into applying for Social Security disability insurance (SSDI) benefits, understanding this term and knowing its importance can prove critical. The Social Security…
Preparing for your Maine, MA or NH Social Security Disability Hearing, Part II
And so now you’ve been provided with your upcoming hearing date and time and you have no idea what to expect. In part II, we’ll attempt to make you feel comfortable about the hearing process itself and what you should expect on the day of your hearing. You can expect…
Initiating a Social Security Disability Claim in Maine, MA & NH: the Duration Requirement
One of the most typical misunderstood requirements for purposes of establishing a Social Security Disability claim is the duration requirement. The Social Security Act and its corresponding regulations require that one prove they are suffering from a severe medical impairment that has lasted or or expected to last 12 months…
My Symptoms are Severe: So Why was I Denied my Social Security Disability claim?
And so for years you’ve been struggling with a bad back or with stiff hands that have more and more difficult to function at work. You’ve gotten to the point where your employer is no longer able to accommodate your missed days missed from work, or the slow down in…
Entitlement Issues for Social Security disability benefits in New Hampshire, Maine and Massachusetts
The Social Security disability system is meant to assist those who remain long-term disabled for a year or longer. While we many times focus on what is required to prove entitlement from a medical standpoint, we many times encounter potential clients who are seeking benefits for a long term disabling…