Massachusetts Social Security Disability Lawyers Blog

Disability services vary by community, city and state. While national attention is paid to the overall effectiveness and support of the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program, there are other operations at a local and state level that may be beneficial to individuals with physical, intellectual developmental disabilities. According to a recent analysis of disability services throughout the 50 states, Massachusetts ranks in the top 10.

Services for the disabled may include access to support networks, promoting independence and productivity, ensuring quality and safe lifestyles for individuals with disabilities, and protecting the well-being of individuals and families. Our Boston SSDI attorneys are dedicated to helping individuals collect their rightful disability coverage in the event of illness, disease, an accident, or other form of disability. We understand the struggles faced by disabled persons and their families and will pursue every available option to ensure the collection of timely benefits.
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In addition to having to reintegrate after deployment, many veterans will return with catastrophic injuries, including amputation, paralysis, burns, and other disabilities. For some, the damage will be psychological, resulting in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The Social Security Administration (SSA) has created an expedited process to help veterans recover benefits quickly and effectively. In addition to proving benefits to veterans who have suffered a physical injury, the SSA has also begun providing compensation to victims PTSD sufferers. The benefits may be necessary for individuals who have recently served in Iraq or Afghanistan as well as for those who served in Desert Storm or Vietnam.

Any physical or psychological disability that renders a patient unable to work may result in benefits eligibility. Our Boston SSDI attorneys know that these cases are complicated and every beneficiary faces unique challenges. We make it our priority to help recover benefits for our clients in a timely and effective manner. When you or someone you love is in need of financial compensation after a disability, illness, or accident, it is important to consult with an experienced advocate as soon as possible to ensure your access to benefits.
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In February of 2013, Congress introduced the ABLE act. ABLE stands for The Achieve a Better Life Experience Act. The Act had more than 400 co-sponsors in the House and the Senate, and disability advocates spoke out in favor of it. Unfortunately, the Congressional session ended last year before the bill could be considered.

Disability advocates are now urging Congress to act this year and move forward with the legislation. According to CNN, more than 230,000 people have signed a petition urging Congress to take action. The bill was also discussed at an annual event at Capitol Hill hosted by the National Down Syndrome Society. If passed, the bill would make it possible for people receiving disability benefits to save money and attain more financial security without putting their disability benefits at risk.
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When an application for disability benefits is denied, there are several different stages of appeal for which a Boston disability benefits attorney can apply. The first step is to put in a request for reconsideration and have your claim reviewed again.

Unfortunately, if this is unsuccessful, you will need to move on to a disability benefits hearing. You can expect a long wait for this hearing to occur and new information indicates that the wait for a hearing is likely to be even longer in 2014.
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In 2012, nine million disabled individuals in the United States received around $120 billion in federal disability benefits through Social Security Disability (SSD). The large expenditures have led to calls for reform of the SSD system, but it is important to realize that spending was not uniform across the United States. As the Washington Post notes, certain counties have much higher rates of disabled individuals obtaining benefits than others and this geographic difference may be the key to improving the system.

Disability benefits are notoriously difficult to qualify for throughout the entirety of the United States, with more than half of all applicants nationwide seeing their petitions denied. Disability benefits attorneys in Massachusetts can help those who are in need of disability income to make a claim or to appeal a denial of benefits so they can receive the income that they need if they cannot work.
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Applying for Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits can be a complicated process because more than half of all claims are initially denied. This leaves workers going through a four stage appeals process, which begins with a request for review and then progresses to a disability benefits hearing.

Appealing a benefits denial is often your best choice for getting the benefits that you need. A Social Security Disability lawyer in Massachusetts can help with the appeals process so you can make a compelling argument to convince the administrative law judge (ALJ) to award you benefits. However, the entire appeals process can take a very long time and some applicants end up waiting a year or longer just to get a hearing. There is a significant backlog of people waiting for a hearing to determine if they should receive benefits, and you will need to wait for the SSA to work through this backlog and put you on the schedule.
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Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is a benefits program that is based on work-history and thus provides income to a disabled person in an amount determined by wages earned over his working life. Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is another disability benefits program that is means tested and intended for lower income individuals. SSI pays out a maximum benefit of $721 per month, while people receiving SSDI may have higher benefits.

Unfortunately, a person who is born severely disabled is likely not ever going to be able to do work that would allow him to earn a higher benefit amount through SSDI. This does not necessarily mean, however, that every disabled child will only be able to receive Supplemental Security Income over the course of his life. The Social Security Administration (SSA) makes Adult Children benefits available under certain circumstances.
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The unemployment rate for the disabled is much higher than for those who do not have an impairing conditions, and has largely remained unchanged over the past five years. The unemployment rate for people with disabilities stands at 14.3 percent as compared to 6.8 percent for those who are not disabled. The Wall Street Journal also reports that the labor force participation rate for those who are disabled is just 19.1 percent compared to 68.5 percent for non-disabled individuals.

To try to reduce this widening gap and create more opportunities for the disabled, U.S. regulations will now require federal contractors to ask all employees if they have a disability. If the federal contractor does not have at least seven percent disabled workers, the employer will either need to prove that it is taking steps to achieve that goal or could face penalties and even the loss of government contracts.
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Advocates who are concerned about the disabled were relived when news broke that President Barack Obama’s 2015 proposed budget no longer included a provision for chained CPI for Social Security disability benefits.

Chained CPI would have altered the way that the cost-of-living adjustments were made to determine how much someone received in monthly disability income. It would have amounted to a de facto cut in benefits at a time when more disabled people than ever are relying on Social Security Disability benefits already too meager to provide for all the necessities of life.

Unfortunately, while Chained CPI did not make it into the budget proposal. The LA Times reports that there are still attacks on the disabled built into the budget. The budget is unlikely to become law because of partisan gridlock, but with both Republicans and many Democrats clearly open to looking for ways to cut back on SSD benefits, it will be especially important for disability advocates (and the disabled) to be watchful of any future proposals that suggest changes to benefits programs.
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