Can I receive my benefits living abroad? If you are a United States citizen, you can travel or live in most foreign countries without affecting your eligibility for Social Security benefits. However, if you reside in Cuba or North Korea, you cannot receive your Social Security benefits because of the U.S. Treasury Department payment restrictions.  Also,… read more

There are two different types of Social Security Disability benefits available to most US citizens and residents – Title II, or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), benefits and Title XVI, or Supplemental Security Income (SSI), benefits. Residents of the territory of Puerto Rico are eligible for SSDI benefits if they have obtained the requisite “working… read more

Monthly Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits for more than 65 million Americans will increase 0.3 percent in 2017, the Social Security Administration announced in October. The 0.3 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) will begin with benefits payable to more than 60 million Social Security beneficiaries in January 2017. Increased payments to more than… read more

World AIDS Day is held on the 1st December each year and is an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, show their support for people living with HIV, and to commemorate the people who have died. World AIDS Day was the first ever global health day, held for the first… read more

Benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA) remove some of the financial strain from individuals and families when disability strikes. Program eligibility depends on various factors, including previous employment for adults who apply for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). Work history, including the kinds of jobs you have traditionally held, can also play a role… read more

Here are some tips for saving money and reminders of benefit eligibility for free services if you are disabled: Social Security Payments to Dependents Who is eligible: Widows and widowers, children, and other dependents of a Social Security recipient. What you get: Monthly payments based on the Social Security recipient’s work history. How it works:… read more

Every Veterans Day, the nation honors the brave men and women who risk their lives to protect our country and the freedoms we cherish. The Social Security Administration honors veterans and active duty members of the military every day by giving them the support they deserve. A vital part of that is administering the Social… 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

March is National Kidney Month, and March 9, 2017 is World Kidney Day. Kidney disease develops when kidneys lose their ability to remove waste and maintain fluid and chemical balances in the body. The severity of chronic kidney disease (CKD) depends on how well the kidneys filter waste from the blood. Because there are little to no signs… read more