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Recent Blog Posts
SSDI and SSI, What’s the Difference?
A lot of people get confused about the difference between SSI and SSDI, and some of our clients have spent years applying for disability without any grasp of the two programs. If you're wondering about the difference, then this is for you.
Let's start with how the programs are similar. SSDI and SSI both provide monthly benefits for those who are disabled, and the standards for what is a 'disability' are virtually identical. Both apply a five-step analysis that grants disability if you are not working, so long as you have a severe impairment that either:
a) meets/equals the medical criteria the government set in its Listing of Impairments, or else:
b) prevents you from performing your past work and any other work in the economy.
And both programs are subject to the lengthy appeal process (initial determination, followed by a reconsideration determination, then a hearing, and finally Appeals Council review). So, if you apply for SSI and SSDI, chances are good that both applications will be jointly decided by the same Stage agency and the same judge.
Good News from the Fifth Circuit for Disability Applicants
The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals recently issued a stunning rebuke of the Social Security Administration in a decision that is likely to be cited for years to come. This is a welcome relief to disability applicants in Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi, all of which reside in the Fifth Circuit.
The opinion is Schofield v. Saul, and the question was whether the Administration was required to explain why it denied Ms. Schofield's disability application without considering her borderline age. By way of background, age has a significant impact on whether a disability applicant is found disabled, particularly if the applicant is 55 or older. At 55, the claimant need only prove that she cannot perform her past work and is limited to light work activity or less without transferable job skills. A similar outcome is directed for unskilled workers who are 50-54 and limited to sedentary work. In short, for a lot of disability applicants, age is everything.
That was particularly true for Schofield, who was only four months shy of her 55th birthday. Had the ALJ applied the higher age category, he would have had to find her disabled. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals remanded the case back to the ALJ, who never explained why he declined to consider the higher age category, which the federal regulations envision in such borderline situations.
How to Get Disability for Back Pain
Back pain is an incredibly common condition, with as many as 80% of all people expected to experience back pain at some point in their lifetimes, according to the American Chiropractic Association (ACA). Additionally, the ACA notes that back pain accounts for over 265 million lost hours of work every year. It is one of the top reasons people miss work, and it is the single leading cause of disability. All this to say, if you're currently experiencing debilitating back pain or have been unable to work in the past due to back pain, you're not alone!
But, do you qualify for disability for your back pain? And, if you do, how do you actually get your Social Security disability benefits?
What Is 'Medically Determinable' Back Pain?
The first thing you need to know about qualifying for disability based on back pain is that the Social Security Administration (SSA) does not typically grant benefits to those with mild, moderate, or intermittent back pain. Despite the fact that the SSA receives millions of applications for back pain-more applications for any other type of illness or injury, in fact-it only grants benefits to individuals with 'medically determinable' back impairments. This means that, in order to qualify for Social Security disability benefits, you'll need to show that you have an impairment that can be detected and affirmed by a medical professional.
Biestek v. Berryhill: A Missed Opportunity for Disability Claimants
Earlier this week, the Supreme Court decided Biestek v. Berryhill, a case we hoped would balance in favor of all disability claimants. Unfortunately, the Court did not reach the outcome we had expected.
Understanding the Disability Process
Before delving into the merits of this case, some overview of the disability process is necessary. For most disability applicants, their best hope of success is a hearing before an administrative law judge. The hearing is usually attended by the claimant, his or her attorney, and various expert witnesses, including a vocational expert (and, occasionally, a medical expert). These experts exert tremendous influence on the outcome of a hearing, particularly the vocational expert, or 'VE,' who is responsible for classifying the applicant's job history and testifying as to whether or not there are other duties the applicant can perform.
The Vocational Expert
Enter Biestek. In this case, the vocational expert testified that Biestek could perform 120,000 'sorter' jobs and 240,000 'bench assembler' jobs – the implication being that he was not disabled. When Biestek's attorney asked how the vocational expert arrived at these numbers, she replied that they were from her own private labor market surveys. When the attorney asked to see these surveys, the vocational expert refused, and the Judge concluded that it was unnecessary. After the hearing, the Judge issued a partially favorable decision, denying some of Biestek's benefits based on the vocational expert's testimony. Now, the question was whether the vocational expert's testimony could be considered 'substantial evidence' to deny the claim.
Election Season Myths About Social Security
It's an election year, which means that Social Security has become another contentious topic among political candidates, pundits, and the media. Unfortunately, not all information out there is accurate and the GOP-which infamously tried to keep our Social Security disability fund depleted last year-is counting on the public to take some of these assertions as fact. Below, let's debunk some of the myths that have been circulating.
Illegal Immigrants Are Benefiting from Social Security
Perhaps this myth is prevalent due to a lack of knowledge of how Social Security works, but Social Security benefits are dependent on a claimant's work history in Social Security-covered employment. If you begin a job as an undocumented resident without a Social Security number, there's no way to actually collect future benefits. Fake credentials may fool an employer-but not the Social Security Administration if a claim for benefits is made.
Illegal Immigrants and Fraudsters Are "Skipping the Line"
Can Drugs and Alcohol Keep You From Getting Disability Benefits?
There is a public perception that those who suffer from drug abuse or alcoholism (DAA) will never be granted approval for disability benefits. That isn't to say, however, that benefits are granted purely on the basis of an alcoholism or drug addiction diagnosis. In the middle of these two myths is the truth – while drugs and alcohol don't always impact your chances of eligibility for benefits, that doesn't mean it never will.
A disability claim can be denied by Social Security if it is determined that the individual's drug and alcohol addiction is a major factor that contributes to his or her disability. If the individual, however, would still meet the requirements without the drug and alcohol abuse, Social Security will consider their case.
To determine if drug or alcohol addiction is material to the determination of disability, Social Security will ask the following questions:
- Is there a history of DAA?
- Is the addiction the only impairment?
New SSD Appeals Change Makes Advocates Wary
It's no secret that the Social Security Administration faces a tremendous backlog of disability claims to evaluate and process. SSA spokesman Mark Hinkle told Huffington Post that the agency is "in the midst of a public service crisis."
Perhaps even more worrisome, however, is what reporters learned the agency is doing to improve efficiency. Up until recently, appealed claims that are remanded for reconsideration were handed back down to an administrative law judge. Now, the SSA is having some of those same cases handed to administrative appeals judges. The change may look minute, but could have negative ramifications for claimants.
That's because administrative appeals judges are not hired or overseen by the same standards as administrative law judges. Administrative law judges are shielded from institutional pressures, performance reviews, and bonus evaluations. Administrative appeals judges are not, calling their impartiality into question.
Updates for Disabled Americans with Student Loans
For some time now, disabled Americans who were saddled with hefty federal student loans remained eligible for loan forgiveness under the Total and Permanent Disability ('TPD') Discharge program. Unfortunately, many disabled borrowers were unaware of the debt forgiveness program and have never sought assistance. Fortunately, the Department of Education has just announced that it plans to prospectively identify borrowers who are eligible for debt forgiveness, which could be a huge relief for thousands of disabled Americans.
Working in coordination with the Social Security Administration, the Department of Education has sought to identify student loan borrowers who receive disability payments and are designated as 'Medical Improvement Not Expected,' a term that would qualify them for loan forgiveness under the TPD program. According to the Department of Education, in December of 2015 and March of 2016, approximately 387,000 borrowers were identified as being eligible for debt forgiveness under TPD. The Department estimated that this constitutes over $7.7 billion worth of student loan debts that might be eligible for forgiveness.
Surprising pitfalls in disability cases: it's more than meets the eye
A colleague of mine once shared an anecdote about a recent disability case of his that had gone terribly, terribly wrong. The evidence was strong, the judge was fair, and the client's testimony was compelling. The problem? When asked if there was anything else he wanted to share with the judge, the client responded, 'Your honor, if I could work, I would. In fact, I've looked everywhere for work, but I just can't find anything.'
This beautifully illustrates one of the cardinal rules of good advocacy-never ask a question you don't know the answer to. But for purposes of Social Security disability, it also illustrates just how counterintuitive the disability process can be. As this blog explains, disability law often entails more than meets the eye.
By any other measure, looking for work should be helpful to a disability case. After all, doesn't it suggest that the person is genuinely striving to become self-sufficient and avoid dependency on governmental benefits? Well, to a judge, it suggests something very different. In our experience, most judges assume that a disabled person simply knows deep down that he is disabled. Based on this logic, the judge assumes that a person who is looking for work must not believe he is disabled. Interestingly, despite this assumption, The Social Security Administration actually encourages disability recipients to try to return to work through the Ticket to Work program and The Plan to Achieve Self-Support program. Nevertheless, disability judges routinely hold this against claimants who may truly be unable to hold a job.
Why won't you take my SSDI/SSI case?
Every month, we are contacted by potential clients all across the nation asking if we can help them with their SSDI/SSI case. We strive to be as selective as possible in taking only the strongest cases up to the federal government. As a result, this means we cannot take every case and we unfortunately have to turn down a large number of potential clients. This inevitably raises a question: 'why won't you take my case?' In this post, we want to discuss some of the more common issues we encounter and give you an idea how we decide whether a case meets our standards for representation.
We first want to stress, however, that our callers are some of the most sincere, deserving individuals, many of whom are suffering terminal and lifelong illnesses that legitimately keep them from working. Unfortunately, not every deserving case is possible to prove in court. As attorneys, we are ethically bound to only take only the cases we reasonably believe will be meritorious. We, therefore, are selective not only by choice, but also by duty.
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From our principal office in Plano, Texas, we serve clients throughout Dallas County, Denton County, Collin County, Tarrant County, and the rest of North Texas, including but not limited to Dallas, Fort Worth, Garland, Frisco, McKinney, Plano, Arlington, Irving, Denton, Carrollton, Addison, Coppell, Euless, Colleyville, Grand Prairie, Allen, Anna, Murphy, Fairview, Prosper, Lewisville, Little Elm, The Colony, Flower Mound, Duncanville, Keller, Roanoke, N.Richland Hills, Mansfield, Burleson, Benbrook, Highland Village, Argyle, Celina, Rockwall, Kaufman, Terrell, DeSoto, Tyler, Nacogdoches, Sulphur Springs, and Greenville.
