Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are two forms of inflammatory bowel disease. They each cause long-term inflammation of the digestive system that can impair your ability to work and live a normal life.

They differ in a couple of ways. Ulcerative colitis generally affects only the colon, but the inflammation caused by Crohn’s disease may affect any portion of the digestive system from the mouth to the anus. Another significant distinction between the two disorders is that Crohn’s disease only affects some portions of the intestine with other portions remaining healthy.

Ulcerative colitis, on the other hand, causes inflammation throughout the colon. Another distinction is that inflammation from ulcerative colitis generally limits itself to the lining of the colon, but inflammation from Crohn’s disease will be present in all layers of the walls of the affected portions of the digestive system.

If you have been diagnosed as having ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease that prevents you from working and earning a living, you should speak to a disability lawyer or advocate about receiving disability benefits. Knowing your rights to benefits and the requirements that you must meet in order to qualify for them is essential, so continue reading if you have been wondering, “How can I receive disability benefits for ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease?”

What are ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease?

Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease are the primary types of inflammatory bowel disease. Ulcerative colitis generally causes inflammation of the colon or large intestine while Crohn’s disease can affect all parts of the digestive system. The symptoms for both conditions are similar and include:

• 1). Diarrhea
• 2). Bowel urgency
• 3). Blood in the stool
• 4). Abdominal pain
• 5). Weight loss
• 6). Decreased appetite
• 7). Fatigue

A person with ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease also may experience a loss of more generalized symptoms in other parts of the body, including:

• 1). Swollen joints
• 2). Mouth sores
• 3). Skin rashes
• 4). Kidney stones

The cause of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are unknown, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that more than three million people have been diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease. If you are among them, you may be entitled to receive disability benefits for ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease when the symptoms affect your ability to continue to work.

Qualifying for disability benefits with an inflammatory bowel disease

In order to qualify for disability benefits through either of the two disability programs, Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income, administered by the Social Security Administration you must have a diagnosis by a physician. The diagnosed condition must meet the SSA definition of disability by being severe enough to prevent you from working, and it must have lasted or be expected to last for at least 12 months or result in death.

There are a couple of ways to satisfy the severity requirement to qualify for disability benefits. One of them is by having a medical or mental health condition in the SSA Listing of Impairments or, as it is frequently referred to, the Blue Book.

The listed impairments have already been determined by the SSA to be severe enough to satisfy the requirements of the disability definition it uses to decide if you qualify for SSI or SSDI benefits. Each listed impairment, including the listing for inflammatory bowel disease contained in section 5.06 of the Blue Book, have specific criteria that must be met to match the listed impairment.

Qualifying for disability benefits

A diagnosis of Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis must be accompanied by clinical examination and diagnostic testing results, including colonoscopy or endoscopy, that documents the specific Blue Book criteria contained in section 5.06. For instance, your medical records must document an obstruction of the colon that required hospitalization on at least two occasions that were at least two months apart during a six-month period.

Sometimes, a medical condition may not match one listed in the Blue Book, but it may still allow you to qualify for disability benefits provided the medical records document that it equals a listed condition.

When a condition does not meet or equal the medical criteria of a listed impairment, a disability lawyer may help you to receive disability benefits for ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease by proving that your medical condition prevents you from engaging in substantial gainful activity. The SSA looks at how the impairment affects you to first determine whether it allows you to do a type of work that you’ve done in the past. If it does, then you do not qualify for benefits.

If it does not allow you to do work you’ve done before, the SSA examiners look at your age, education and other factors, including your medical condition, to determine whether you can do other types of work available throughout the national economy. If you cannot, then you may qualify for disability benefits.

Contact a disability benefits lawyer

If you have been diagnosed with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, a disability lawyer or advocate at London Eligibility has the experience and knowledge to help with your application for benefits or with an appeal of a denial. Contact us today for a free consultation.

You may be eligible for mental health disability pay when the mental impairment interferes with your ability to work. The Social Security Administration Listing of Impairments, which is commonly referred to as the “Blue Book,” contains several categories of mental health disorders considered by the SSA as being severe enough to meet the definition of disability that it uses to determine eligibility for Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income benefits.

If you suspect that a mental disorder is affecting your ability to work, your first step in the process of obtaining disability benefits is to schedule an appointment with a psychologist, psychiatrist or other mental health professional for an evaluation, diagnosis and recommended course of treatment. You also should contact a disability lawyer or disability advocate at London Eligibility for advice and representation to help to get you through what can be a difficult process that approves fewer than one-third of the applications seeking disability benefits for physical and mental impairments.

How much does mental health disability pay?

The amount that a person qualifying for benefits could expect for disability pay 2021 was $586 per month through the SSI program. If you had a work history with a record of paying Social Security taxes on the earnings that qualified you for benefits through the SSDI program, the disability pay 2021 for beneficiaries averaged $1,277 per month.

SSDI benefits that you receive each month are determined, in part, by how much you earned at jobs or through self-employment over the course of your lifetime. Only earnings subject to payment of Social Security payroll taxes count. The maximum benefit that you could receive in 2021 was $3,148 per month.

Keep in mind that SSI and SSDI benefits are subject to annual cost-of-living adjustments. The mental health disability benefits have increased since 2021 because of annual COLA. For example, The maximum SSDI benefit each month for 2022 is $3,345 and the average monthly benefit is $1,358. The monthly SSI benefit has increased to $841 per month for an individual beneficiary.

COLA will cause monthly mental health disability payments to increase in 2023. SSI beneficiaries can receive $914 per month beginning January 2023. Someone who qualifies for SSDI can expect the average monthly payment under the program to increase to $1,483 and the maximum monthly payment to be $3,627.

What mental health disorders qualify for disability pay?

Qualifying for disability benefits through SSI and SSDI requires proof that you have a medically determinable physical or mental impairment that prevents you from engaging in substantial gainful activity. The condition must be severe, which means that it must have lasted or be expected to last for at least 12 months or be expected to cause death.

The SSA recognizes several types of mental health conditions as being severe enough to meet the disability definition it uses to determine whether to approve an application for disability benefits. The different mental health conditions can be found in the Listing of Impairments, which people frequently refer to as the “Blue Book.”

Some of the categories of mental health disorders and listed mental health impairments within each of them include the following:

• 1). Psychotic disorders, including schizophrenia and delusional disorder.
• 2). Neurocognitive disorders, including dementia caused by a medical condition, Alzheimer’s disease, and vascular dementia.
• 3). Anxiety disorders, including panic disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
• 4). Depressive disorders, including bipolar disorder and depression.
• 5). Eating disorders, including anorexia and bulimia.
• 6). Trauma disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder.
• 7). Neurodevelopmental disorders, including learning disorders, Tourette syndrome, and borderline intellectual functioning.

Autism spectrum and personality disorders are other categories of mental health disorders found in the Blue book.

If you have a mental disorder that does not match or equal one contained in the Blue Book, you may qualify for benefits by proving that the condition satisfies the definition of disability used by the SSA. This is accomplished with medical records that include a diagnosis of the disorder based on a clinical evaluation and appropriate testing by a psychiatrist, psychologist or other mental health professional.

The medical records should include a treatment plan prescribed for you and evidence proving that you complied with the plan. Failing to keep appointments with your medical provider or not following the prescribed course of treatment may result in your claim for disability benefits being denied.

Contact a mental health disability lawyer

Filing an initial claim for disability benefits can be a challenge under the best of circumstances, but it becomes even worse when a claimant has the added burden of going through treatment for a mental health disorder. When you need help getting the disability benefits that you desperately need and deserve, a disability advocate and disability lawyer at London Eligibility is there for you. Contact us today for a free consultation and claim evaluation.

If you struggle with arthritis, no one needs to tell you that it can be an extremely uncomfortable, and often debilitating condition. For some, arthritis is simply a condition that, while uncomfortable, does not truly hamper many of life’s day-to-day activities. For others, however, arthritis can be so severe that it keeps them from being able to work or enjoy much of everyday life as they otherwise would.

Often, those who struggle with arthritis wonder they would qualify for disability benefits from the Social Security Administration. It’s an understandable question to ask. Generally, the Social Security Administration does recognize arthritis as a potentially disabling condition under several categories:

• 1). Joint Dysfunction: Arthritis can often lead to significant dysfunction in the joints, including chronic pain, stiffness, misalignment, and other deformities.
• 2). Inflammatory Arthritis: Any arthritic condition that causes widespread pain, limited movement, inflexibility, and inflammation may potentially qualify for benefits.
• 3). Arthritis of the spine: Sometimes, arthritis can affect the spine and compromise nerve roots within the spinal cord. Narrowing of the spine as a result of arthritis may also qualify for benefits.
• 4). Surgery on a Weight-Bearing Joint: In some cases, those suffering from arthritis have to undergo surgery on a major weight-bearing joint (such as hips or knees), and that procedure may render the patient unable to walk or move freely without assistance for some time afterward.

If you have one of these conditions and it has rendered you unable to work, you should certainly consult with an attorney regarding whether or not you may be eligible for benefits.

Although the law can be complex and often confusing, it is important to realize that having arthritis will not, in and of itself, be sufficient to warrant disability benefits. To do so, an applicant will generally have to prove that he or she satisfies multiple criteria set forth by the Social Security Administration.

A Closer Look at The Criteria

In order to qualify for Social Security disability benefits, whether for arthritis or another condition, an applicant must prove that:

• 1). The applicant has a qualifying medical condition that is considered “disabling” by the Social Security Administration: The Social Security Administration maintains what is commonly referred to as its “Blue Book” to determine whether a particular condition constitutes a disability for the purpose of awarding benefits. This guide contains a listing of medical conditions and impairments, several of which are associated with arthritis, including the four categories discussed above. If you can establish that you have one of these conditions through persuasive medical evidence, you may qualify for benefits, provided that you also meet other necessary criteria.
• 2). The condition has rendered the applicant unable to work and earn an income as he or she otherwise normally would for a period of at least 12 consecutive months: A significant factor in determining whether or not an applicant qualifies for benefits is whether or not the condition is “disabling” in the sense that it has prevented the applicant from earning income as he or she otherwise would. Sometimes, after all, a condition may be uncomfortable, without preventing normal enjoyment of much of everyday life. In other cases, however, the condition may be so disabling that normal work and functioning simply isn’t possible. If this case, an applicant may likely qualify for benefits.
• 3). The applicant either qualifies for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits because he or she is “insured” (meaning the applicant worked a qualifying job through which he or she paid into the Social Security system for a sufficient length of time): OR
• 4). The applicant is not “insured” and does not qualify for SSDI benefits, but he or she has income and resources below a certain level, thus qualifying the applicant for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits from the Social Security Administration.

An applicant who can establish that he or she meets these criteria by providing medical evidence and other necessary documentation will generally have a good chance of being approved for benefits, eventually. It is important to keep in mind, however, that a large part of successfully proving a case will be hiring a knowledgeable and experienced attorney who can fight for the benefits you deserve. At London Eligibility, we’re here to do exactly that.

London Eligibility – Here For You

Regardless of whether you have arthritis or another disabling condition, you have more than enough to focus on without adding legal worries to the list. You deserve to spend time receiving the treatment you need for your condition and enjoying life with those you love. You don’t need to worry about how you’ll pursue the disability benefits you need and deserve. Instead, you can leave those complex legal matters to the talented and experienced team at London Eligibility, knowing that when you do, you’re putting your case in good hands. If you’re ready to get started, we’re here to help. Get in touch with us today. We look forward to speaking with you soon.

When the Social Security Act was signed into law in 1935, it created the retirement and Social Security disability programs that millions of retired and disabled workers continue to rely upon today. The program, which based the benefits that workers would receive on their lifetime earnings, created the need for a method of keeping track of how much every worker in the United States earned. The result was implementation of the Social Security number in 1936.

The number assigned to each person at birth was originally intended solely for the purpose of tracking earnings throughout a worker’s lifetime. Modern use of the Social Security number has evolved far beyond what its creators imagined for it more than 85 years ago. Today, it has developed into almost a national identification number required by private businesses, banks and financial institutions, and government agencies.

What are some of the reasons that you may need a Social Security number?

Federal legislation has greatly expanded permitted uses of Social Security numbers beyond their original purpose. A few of the identification uses resulting from federal laws include:

• 1). Registration for the military draft
• 2). Commercial driver’s licenses
• 3). Owners of stores that accept food stamps
• 4). Dependents that you claim on your income states
• 5). Establishing eligibility for federal housing programs
• 6). Identification of blood donors

The use of Social Security numbers to identify and track parents who fail to pay child support now requires Social Security numbers to be included in many legal documents issued by state governments, including:

• 1). Professional licenses, such as real estate agent and broker licenses
• 2). Driver’s licenses
• 3). Birth certificates
• 4). Death certificates
• 5). Divorce decrees, child support orders and paternity determinations
• 6). Marriage licenses
• 7). Filing state and federal income tax returns
• 8). Obtaining a passport

In addition to its expansion throughout all levels of government, use of Social Security numbers in the private sector has exploded.

Other activities that require Social Security numbers

According to the Social Security Administration, the Social Security number has become the method used most frequently in the United States to maintain records in order to easily associate them with a specific person. For example, you may need to disclose your Social Security number for the following activities:

• 1). Opening an account at a bank, credit union or other type of financial institution
• 2). Applying for a personal loan
• 3). Applying for a mortgage to purchase or refinance a home or other type of real property
• 4). Federal and state student loan programs
• 5). State unemployment and workers’ compensation programs
• 6). Obtaining a credit card

Chances are that the forms you completed on your first visit to a doctor’s office asked for your Social Security number along with the other personal and medical information they requested.

Obviously, if you apply for Social Security disability or retirement benefits, you must disclose your Social Security number. Requests for your number have become so common that you may wonder what happens if you refuse to disclose it.

Is it unlawful for a business to ask for my Social Security number?

Banks, schools, businesses, credit card companies, and other private enterprises may require Social Security numbers as a condition to receiving the services they provide. Of course, they may not use the number for any purpose that violates a state or federal law, such as committing fraud or identity theft.

You have the absolute right to refuse to disclose the number. However, the business or other type of private enterprise has the right to refuse to provide you with the services that you request.

Misuse of a Social Security number

If you are disabled because of a medical condition that prevents you from working, you may be entitled to Social Security disability benefits. The Social Security Disability Insurance program requires that you have a work history of a long enough duration to be eligible for benefits.

Your earnings record is important because it determines eligibility for SSDI benefits, and your lifetime earnings are used to calculate your monthly disability benefit. The accuracy of that record is because of the ability of the Social Security Administration to track your earnings using your Social Security number.

If you or your SSD lawyer discover a discrepancy in what Social Security has as your lifetime earnings and what you believe they should be, contact Social Security. Recent earnings may take time before they post to your earnings record, but earnings discrepancies for prior years may be due to errors made by an employer.

An employer may have reported your earnings using an incorrect Social Security number instead of the number that was originally issued to you. You can correct such errors by holding on to W-2 Wage and Tax Statements, income tax returns, pay stubs, and other documentation that proves how much you actually earned.

Contact a disability lawyer

A disability lawyer and disability advocate at London Eligibility is a reliable source of advice and skilled representation with all Social Security programs. Contact us today for a free consultation.

If you are disabled and have considered applying for disability benefits, or if you are somewhere in the process of doing so already, you may find the waiting process to be a stressful experience. That’s normal and understandable. The unfortunate truth is that the Social Security Administration often initially denies disability claims, at least following the initial application. As a result, many applicants will need to try more than once and be certain that they thoroughly prove their case. May are also eager for signs that their claim may be approved.

A few signs that your disability claim may be approved include:

• 1). You have a condition that the Social Security Administration will consider as “disabling”: This is a prerequisite to the success of any disability claim. The Social Security Administration has what is commonly referred to as a “Blue Book”. The Blue Book is a guide containing a list of conditions, and the symptoms of those conditions, which, if proven, will significantly increase your likelihood of claim approval. This does not mean that if your condition is not listed you’ll always be denied – it simply means that you will have to prove, in other ways, that your condition meets the Social Security Administration’s definition of “disabled”.


• 2). You have sufficient medical evidence: The importance of having sufficient medical evidence when seeking disability benefits from the Social Security Administration cannot be overstated. The Social Security Administration will thoroughly review your medical evidence, and that is why it is important to ensure that you provide all of the proof that you can. Some medical records that may be helpful to your claim include: records of your medical history, various diagnostic medical reports, copies of x-rays, CT scans, MRIs, and other imaging, letters from medical providers, prescription drug receipts, and any other evidence that your attorney advises would be helpful.


• 3). Your condition renders you unable to work: To be approved for disability benefits, you must be able to prove that the condition for which you are seeking benefits has rendered you unable to work for at least 12 consecutive months. You should be able to obtain documentation from your employer regarding your inability to work. Copies of paycheck stubs or monthly bank statements may also be helpful in this regard.


• 4). You cannot participate in substantial gainful activity: To approve a claim for benefits, the Social Security Administration will want to be assured that the applicant cannot participate in substantial gainful activity, otherwise referred to as SGA. This essentially means that even if you are unable to work you may be able to earn some income, provided it does not go over the monthly SGA amount determined by the Social Security Administration. This amount will vary from year to year, but in 2022 for example, the monthly SGA for a blind applicant was $2,260, while the monthly SGA for a non-blind applicant was $1,350.


• 5). You have hired a Social Security attorney: This is a crucial step in any claim for disability benefits. Hiring an attorney who knows and understands the law can make all the difference between a smooth disability claim experience and a stressful one. When it comes to legal matters, what you don’t know can make the difference between fully asserting your rights and neglecting to take important steps that may cause you to forfeit the compensation you otherwise deserve. Don’t make that mistake. Find an attorney who can fight for you, and who can guide you through this complex process each step of the way.

Anyone who struggles with a disability knows that it is a very difficult experience. It can be overwhelming to try to find time to receive the medical treatment you need and focus on the future while also trying to provide for yourself and those you love. This can particularly be the case if your disability has rendered you unable to work and earn an income as you otherwise normally would. Fortunately, if you find yourself in the situation you may qualify for benefits, and you need to assert your rights. At London Eligibility, we’re here to help you do exactly that.

London Eligibility – Your Disability Attorneys

While being disabled is a difficult experience it does not have to be an experience that you go through alone. At London Eligibility, our talented and knowledgeable team of Social Security disability experts is here to help. We understand every aspect of the process of applying for benefits from the initial application through the final appeals. Wherever you are, we’ll meet you there. We are ready to pursue the best legal strategies on your behalf and help you to find a path forward toward a better and brighter chapter ahead. If you’re ready to get started give us a call today. We look forward to speaking with you soon.

Suffering from a disability and undergoing medical treatment for it can be a painful experience. Moreover, if you are unable to work because of your medical condition, the impending financial troubles can cause stress, fear, and anxiety. Therefore, if you qualify for Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits, it may ease you of some mental and financial burden.

However, the delay in receiving the SSD approval letter and winning disability benefits can also be a frustrating process. Generally, it takes three to five months for the Social Security Administration (SSA) to decide an application for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. If the application is approved, a Disability Approval Letter is issued. Otherwise, a denial letter is issued.

Learning more about the complicated SSD benefits application process could help you ease the frustration associated with waiting for an approval letter and ensure that you avoid unnecessary delays.

How is an SSD application decided?

The SSA manages two federal programs- Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). SSDI applies to people who have paid social security taxes out of the income earned at a job or through self-employment for a long enough duration to qualify for benefits. On the other hand, SSI is a need-based program for people who have no to little income, and are disabled, blind or above 65 years of age.

When you apply for either of these two programs, a Social Security field officer will check your eligibility for non-medical requirements, i.e., income limits in the case of SSI and the work history/ earnings in the case of SSDI. Once the non-medical requirements are satisfied, the application moves further for examining medical requirements to a Disability Determination Service (DDS) office, a federal government-funded agency in each state.

The DDS staff goes through your medical records to decide whether you qualify for SSI/ SSDI benefits. In case the medical records are inconclusive, the DDS staff can hold a consultative examination with the physician who treated you or with an independent healthcare professional. Based on this assessment, the DDS staff decides if your application is to be approved or rejected. The entire process is called initial disability determination.

Although SSA provides an estimated time of three to five months for the initial disability determination, there could be a delay due to some factors-

You can avoid such unnecessary delays by contacting an experienced disability advocate who understands the complicated disability benefits procedure and prepares any additional information that may have to be provided well in advance.

How much time does it take at the appeals stage?

If your application gets denied during the initial disability determination, you will have to appeal the decision. The time it takes to decide an appeal depends on the stage of appeal. There are three levels of appeal in the case of disability benefits applications-

• 1). Reconsideration request.
• 2). Appeal before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ).
• 3). Review by the Appeals Council.

During reconsideration, your claim is assigned to an examiner in the DDS office who was not involved in the initial disability determination. The examiner goes through the case file and seeks additional information, if necessary. As per the Social Security Administration, 147 days is the average time taken to decide a reconsideration request.

If your claim is not decided at the reconsideration stage, your disability advocate may pursue an appeal before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ). Your request for SSD benefits will then be assigned to one of the several hearing centers across the country. Your hearing date is scheduled within 5 to 15 months depending on the workload of the hearing center.

If your claim is not approved by the ALJ either, you may approach the Appeals Council for a review. It takes about one year for a decision letter at this stage. If your claim is not approved even at the final level of appeal, you can institute a lawsuit in federal court, which can be a very time-consuming process and take a while for the final decision on your SSD claim.

Contact London Eligibility to avoid unnecessary delays

At London Eligibility, we are committed to help the disabled community in all possible ways. We are as interested as you are in helping you win the disability benefits you truly need and deserve. Our team of experienced disability lawyers and attorneys have an in depth understanding of the complicated SSD processes to help you avoid unnecessary delays in getting a Disability Approval Letter.

Supplemental Security Income benefits is a need-based program administered by the Social Security Administration. It provides monthly payments to assist people who are blind, disabled or elderly by providing money that can be used for food and shelter. The eligibility requirements to qualify for benefits include very strict limits on the amount of monthly income and financial resources an applicant for benefits may have available to them.

A popular method for receiving benefits is to have SSI direct deposit into bank accounts. This method, which is one of only two ways to receive benefits, eliminates the risk of a lost check leaving you without funds to pay household expenses. The direct deposit process used by the SSA ensures that your monthly SSI or other Social Security disability payment is available to you by midnight of the day of your scheduled payment.

The following information about payment methods for SSI and Social Security Disability Insurance benefits gives you insight into how they work and the process to set them up. Use it to budget expenditures based on the availability of Social Security disability and retirement payments.

Social Security no longer issues checks

If London Eligibility handled your application or appeal for SSI or SSDI, they would have explained the payment procedures that Social Security now uses for its disability programs. The SSA eliminated its old payment method that involved the mailing of checks to SSD recipients and retirees.

Using the mail system as the primary method to get people the benefits they need for living expenses resulted in delays and lost checks, so Social Security went to direct deposit as the preferred payment method. At first, the SSA offered you the option to either receive a check in the mail or have the funds deposited directly into a bank account, but the check option was eliminated several years ago in favor of direct deposit or Direct Express card.

The Direct Express method uses a debit card. SSD benefits are deposited to your Direct Express debit card on the same day of the month that payments are directly deposited to bank accounts. The debit card may be used to make a purchase, or it may be used to obtain cash at ATMs or at retail stores that offer cash-back when making a purchase.

Direct Express debit cards offer several advantages over the old method of payment by check, including:

• 1). A lost or stolen Direct Express card can be easily canceled and replaced by making a phone call to report it.
• 2). Avoids mail delays that were common with the old payment method.
• 3). Money is deposited to your debit card account each month, so you do not have to go to the bank to deposit a check.
• 4). You do not need a bank account to use a Direct Express debit card.

Direct Express allows you withdraw funds at an ATM without incurring a fee for the service one time per deposit. You can get more information about Direct Express from a Social Security disability lawyer or disability advocate at London Eligibility.

Direct deposit of SSI benefits to your bank account

When you elect to have SSI benefit payments deposited each month to a bank account, the funds will be deposited on the first of the month. If the first of the month is a Saturday, Sunday or federal holiday, the SSA processes payments on the weekday immediately preceding the holiday or weekend.

SSDI payments are processed based on the day of the month that you were born, so payments for people born within the first 10 days of a month are processed for direct deposit on the second Wednesday of the month. Payments for people born from the 11th to the 20th day of the month are processed on the third Wednesday of the month and the remainder of payees receive their direct deposits on the fourth Wednesday each month.

If you qualify for benefits through SSI and SSDI, your SSDI payment is processed on the third day of the month regardless of your date of birth. The SSI payment is processed on the first of the month.

Setting a payment method for SSI benefits

The following information must be included with your application for SSD benefits in order to set up direct deposit as your payment method:

• 1). Social Security number
• 2). Routing number for your bank
• 3). Checking or savings account number

If you do not have a bank account, your only payment option is a Direct Express debit card.

Get help with your SSI claim at London Eligibility

Your best source for information and representation in all matters pertaining to SSI and SSDI applications, appeals and payment methods is an SSD lawyer or disability advocate at London Eligibility. Contact us today for a free consultation and claim evaluation.

A Social Security Disability (SSD) hearing with an administrative law judge (ALJ) is a major event in the SSD claim process. Anyone who is scheduled for such a hearing has already had their disability claim denied and has waited months for this meeting with an official who has the power to overrule the previous denials of their claim.

Disability Attorney Scott London and his entire team of professional disability advocates know how important the SSD hearing is to you and your family. To ensure that every claimant we work with is fully prepared to make the best of this opportunity to help the administrative law judge rule in their favor. This blog post highlights some of the ways an SSD claimant can get ready to win their SSD hearing before the ALJ.

What is a Social Security Disability Hearing?

A hearing with a Social Security Disability administrative law judge is the first time that an SSD claimant will be speaking directly to a person about their disability claim in detail. Up until the time of an SSD hearing, all the disability claimant’s communication with the Social Security Administration were limited to document exchanges.

The benefit of the person-to-person hearing, even if conducted through remote teleconference, is the ability for the judge to relate to the claimant as a person, an individual with a life that is challenged every day because of the impairments the judge will consider. The judge will be able to ask direct questions and hear immediate responses, both from the applicant and from their disability advocate or attorney.

By the end of the hearing, which can run anywhere from 25 to 90 minutes on average, there should be no unanswered questions and no confusion about the nature or the severity of the claimant’s impairments, their work history, or the ways in which the impairment interferes with their performance and experience of everyday activities.

Preparing for Your Disability Hearing

Your best chance to win your disability hearing is by preparing in advance. Your disability advocate or your attorney can meet with you to run through the questions the judge is likely to ask, review dates and major developments in your case history to refresh your memory, and you can practice answer questions about how you feel when you do particular activities, what you can do with difficulty, and what is too painful for you to even attempt.

This is also the time to review the contents of your entire disability package to ensure that the file is complete, that nothing the administrative law judge needs is missing that might delay the hearing or prevent you from winning the benefits you deserve.

What to Say During Your Disability Hearing (and What Not to Say)

Answering simple questions about your own case seems like it would be an easy task. But for some people, it is much more difficult than they imagine it will be. Despite the best efforts of both your attorney and the hearing judge to reassure you, you will be nervous. You’ve waited a long time for this important hearing and anxiety is natural. During times of heightened anxiety, you can forget key facts, jumble dates, or even give unnecessary information that was not invited, and which harms your case.

1. Think Before You Answer Each Question. Answering too quickly can result in several negative consequences:

• I. You may begin to answer before you’ve heard the complete question.
• II. You may have misunderstood the question. Repeat the question to yourself in your mind before answering.
• III. Reflexive or automatic answers can hurt your disability claim.

One of the most common examples of a reflexive answer harming your chances of success occurs when someone you meet says, “Hi. How are you?” Your instinctive answer is “I’m fine,” or some variation of that sentiment. (“I’m very well, how are you?” or “I’m doing great.”)

Answering such a question in a disability hearing setting is a contradiction of your claim. Would your reflexive, “I’m fine” be understood to be just that, a common polite answer not meant to convey your health condition? Probably. But don’t say it anyway. Think before answering questions.

2. Don’t Be a Hero — Don’t Minimize Your Pain or Weakness. Part of our American culture encourages us to be tough, strong, and not to whine or be perceived as weak. This cultural pressure comes up during disability hearings.

• A. Minimizing your experience of pain implies that you are not as impaired as a person with “real” pain.
• B. Describing your difficulty as “kind of hard to do (a task)” sounds like you are hedging, that you’re not convinced yourself that you are disabled.
• C. Downplaying any experience of your impairment defeats the purpose for which you are having the hearing.
• D. Don’t be afraid to express appropriate emotion! The pain you’ve endured and the worry your family lives with are justifiable reasons for sadness, depression, and disappointment. Those realities mean something to you. It’s ok to show the ALJ how deeply your impairment has hurt you in ways that can’t be measured.

3. Let Your Disability Attorney or Advocate Answer Hypothetical Questions. During the hearing, an ALJ may ask you a question like, “If a desk job opened up, would you be able to accept it?” Your professional disability advocate or disability lawyer will answer that question with references to your medial records, your doctor’s findings, and concrete “evidence” that the ALJ will consider.

The claimant who answers that question might cite reasons that Social Security rejects as valid answers:

A. “I never did that kind of work before.”

B. “I don’t want to drive too far.”

C. “I can’t find a desk job in my area.”

If you struggle with long-term clinical depression, you already know that it is more than simply feeling sad for a few days or being temporarily upset about a particular life event that has led you to feel unhappy. On the contrary, long-term clinical depression is a chronic, ongoing, and often disabling condition that is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. Often, those who struggle with depression may even find the condition to be so severe that it prevents them from being able to work.

If you find yourself in this situation, you may be wondering how much you can receive in disability benefits. It’s an important question to ask, as being disabled can cause a significant amount of financial stress. Let’s take a closer look at when depression may qualify for benefits, and how much you may be likely to receive.

Does Your Condition Qualify?

First and foremost, it is important to keep in mind that to qualify to receive disability benefits from the Social Security Administration, you must be able to establish, through medical proof, that you have a qualifying disabling condition, and that you have been unable to work for at least 12 months as a result of the disabling condition.

When assessing a patient for clinical depression, a doctor will usually conduct a thorough examination to rule out any other medical conditions that may be causing the symptoms. To identify and diagnose clinical depression, a physician will look for a variety of symptoms, some of which may include:

• 1). Ongoing sadness
• 2). Irritability
• 3). Difficulty concentrating
• 4). Lack of interest in activities once enjoyed
• 5). Fatigue
• 6). Restlessness
• 7). Change in appetite or sleeping patterns
• 8). A variety of other factors

These symptoms are only a few of many, so it is important to ensure that you consult a doctor who will be thorough in reviewing your symptoms and assessing your condition. After you’ve received a diagnosis, you can begin to pursue the benefits you need and deserve.

Taking A Closer Look At Benefit Calculations

As you attempt to determine how much you might receive in disability benefits, it’s important to understand that the Social Security Administration generally provides two types of benefits for disabled individuals:

• 1). Social Security Disability Income (SSDI): SSDI benefits are typically provided for those who are unable to work as a result of a qualifying disabling condition, and who have worked in a job for a certain amount of time through which they paid into the Social Security system. These individuals are considered “insured” for Social Security purposes.
• 2). Supplemental Security Income (SSI): SSI disability benefits are benefits provided to those individuals who have a qualifying disability that renders them unable to work, but who have low income, and generally did not work a job through which they paid into the system for the necessary amount of time.

When attempting to calculate the actual monetary amount you might receive, you should keep in mind that it is generally not the condition itself that determines how much money you will receive. If you are applying for SSDI benefits, the amount of your monthly payment will generally depend upon a variety of factors, including:

• 1). Your salary before the disability
• 2). How much you’ve paid into the Social Security system
• 3). The severity of your condition
• 4). Several other factors depending upon your unique circumstances.

Each year, the Social Security Administration sets limits on the maximum amount might that a disabled individual might receive. In 2022, for example, the highest possible monthly SSDI payment was $3,345, although that amount can be lower or higher depending upon the particular year. Insofar as SSI benefits are concerned, these payments generally do not depend upon work history, and recipients must be below a certain income threshold to qualify. In 2022, the maximum monthly SSI amounts were $421 for an essential person, $841 for individuals, and $1261 for couples.

Ultimately, the best course of action you can take as you attempt to determine whether you may qualify for benefits and how much you might receive is to contact an attorney who knows and understands the law, and who can help you assess your particular situation. At London Eligibility, we’re here to help.

London Eligibility – Here For You

If you struggle with depression, you should know that you are not alone, even though it may feel that way at times. It’s important to remember that countless others also struggle with this condition and have received the benefits they need and deserve. If you’re ready to take your first step toward what is hopefully a better and brighter chapter ahead, there’s no time better than now to do so. At London Eligibility, our knowledgeable and experienced team of disability benefits attorneys is ready and waiting to help. We’re here for you, and we know the best legal strategies to pursue on your behalf. Give us a call today. We look forward to speaking with you soon.

If you are disabled and receiving Social Security disability benefits, those benefits may be an essential source of financial security and disability for you, and for your family. Indeed, being disabled often means that you are unable to work full-time and earn an income as you normally would. The disability benefits you receive from the Social Security Administration may be extremely helpful in relieving the financial stress that being unable to work can cause.

In some cases, those who are disabled are unable to work at all – perhaps for an indefinite period, or maybe never again. In other instances, however, disabled individuals can perform some types of work, and engage in income-earning activities.

The question then becomes – can you do so while receiving Social Security disability? If so, how much can you earn? These are reasonable and important questions to ask, and, understandably, you might be wary of engaging in any activity that might cause those benefits to stop. Let’s take a closer look at how earnings might affect the receipt of disability benefits.

Learning The Limits

Ultimately, when applying for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits, there is an upper limit on how much income a disabled individual can earn. This is what the Social Security Administration refers to as the “substantial gainful activity” or SGA limit. This limit is adjusted annually by the Social Security Administration to account for changes in the cost of living from year to year. In 2022, that amount is $1350 for a disabled individual who is not blind and $2250 for a blind individual.

Exceptions To The Rule

If you are disabled and your income is above the SGA limits determined by the Social Security Administration, you typically cannot continue to collect disability benefits. One exception to this rule is if you are participating in one of the “work incentive” programs established by the Social Security Administration, which are designed and intended to encourage those receiving disability benefits to attempt a transition back to the workforce.

One of the Social Security Administration’s most popular work incentive programs is its “Ticket to Work” program. This initiative offers job training, work experience, and a variety of other support services to assist disabled individuals who have the goal of returning to the workforce if possible. For those individuals who participate in Ticket to Work, the SGA earnings

limits are temporarily waived.

In addition, it should be noted that SSDI beneficiaries are often also allowed a trial period lasting up to nine months, during which time they can attempt a return to work. These allotted trial months may be spread out over the course of five years. During those months, disabled individuals can receive their full benefit amount regardless of work-related earnings. Other Types Of Income

We are also often asked not only about income earned through work but also about income earned through other sources. This is an important question to ask as well. Fortunately, other income, earned from sources aside from work, is often not considered when determining the amount of SSDI benefits to be received.

Fortunately, it is typically the case that while Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and some other need-based types of programs will consider various types of income in determining benefit amounts, the Social Security Administration will only consider earnings from work when making its calculations for SSDI benefits. This means that only income earned as an employee, self-employed worker, or contractor counts toward the Substantial Gainful Activity limit. As a result, if you can generate income through other means – investments, rental properties, or the sale of assets, for example – you may do so without any impact on your SSDI benefit amounts.

While this general information is intended to be helpful for those considering the possibility of working while earning disability benefits, it is ultimately no substitute for the advice of knowledgeable legal counsel tailored to your particular circumstances. At London Eligibility, we’re here for you.

London Eligibility – Here For You

If you are struggling with a disability, you already have more stress in your life than you need. You don’t need to add legal worries on top of it. You don’t need to feel anxious about how to ensure that you can still earn an income, if possible, while also continuing to receive the disability benefits you need and deserve. Instead, you can leave those matters to the

knowledgeable and experienced legal team at London Eligibility. We’ll fight for you so that you can focus on what’s most important – enjoying life with those you love. If you’re ready to get started, give us a call today. We’re ready to listen to you, and let you know how we can help. We look forward to speaking with you soon.