Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) are becoming a more common diagnosis for claimants needing Social Security disability benefits, with advances in testing and imaging as well as more publicity from injured veterans and athletes. These disabilities are not always easy to prove. However, there is a relatively new regulation that specifically evaluates these profound injuries whereas… read more

On June 10, 2017, the Social Security Administration (SSA) is adding enhanced security to protect your privacy as my Social Security users. This is in addition to the first layer of security, a username and password. Adding security measures to safeguard your information — but making them easy to use — is a vital part… read more

If you are planning on or already receiving disability benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), you may also be eligible to receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) from the Social Security Administration (SSA). SSDI is administered by the SSA to provide monthly benefits for disabled workers. To receive SSDI, you must have worked… read more

Earlier this month, The Washington Post ran a front-page story about Social Security Disability benefits in rural counties, followed last Sunday by an editorial calling for a wholesale restructuring of the Social Security Disability Insurance program. Not only does the Post’s reporting paint a misleading picture about Social Security disability beneficiaries, but the data analysis… read more

The Social Security Administration announced the rescission of three previous rulings in the Federal Register on March 27, 2017 – SSR 96-2p: Titles II and XVI: Giving Controlling Weight to Treating Source Medical Opinions; SSR 96-5p: Titles II and XVI: Medical Source Opinions on Issues Reserved to the Commissioner; and SSR 06-3p: Titles II and… read more

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has so far exempted three offices from President Donald Trump’s hiring freeze, according to an OPM spokesperson. Administrative law judges and hearing support staff, as well as processing center employees, at the Social Security Administration are exempted. However, there is so far no exception for field office staff. Agencies… read more

The Social Security Advisory Board held a policy forum on the Social Security Administration’s Representative Payee Program on March 27, 2017 at the 20 F Street NW Conference Center. This forum included panels on identifying who needs a representative payee, monitoring representative payee performance, and the way forward. Currently, more than 6 million payees manage… read more

Earlier this week, U.S. Representatives Al Lawson and Darren Soto, both representing constituents in the state of Florida, sent a letter to President Trump asking him to exempt the Social Security Administration (SSA) from the federal hiring freeze “to ensure that the American people receive the first-class service they have already earned through a lifetime of… read more

In September 2016, the Social Security Administration (SSA) published new final rules, effective January 17, 2017, that revised the medical criteria for evaluating mental disorders. This regulation is a comprehensive revision to the criteria for evaluating disability claims involving mental disorders. “Updating our medical criteria for the disability program is a challenging task that has… read more

In February, the House of Representatives approved its first effort of the new Congress to roll back gun regulations, voting to overturn a rule that would bar gun ownership by some individuals who have been deemed mentally impaired by the Social Security Administration. The House voted 235-180 largely along party lines to repeal an Obama-era rule… read more