Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Can a Child Get SSI Disability for Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS)?

Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) has a long and wide-ranging list of potential symptoms. Whether a child's FAS symptoms are severe enough to qualify for Social Security Disability (SSD) varies from case to case. Some children with FAS exhibit minor symptoms or none at...

Are Taxes Taken Out of Disability Benefits?

Are taxes taken out of my disability benefits? If you receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and also earn other income, you might have to pay taxes on your benefits. As of 2017, if you are a single person with more than $25,000 in total income or a...

Does Medicare Or Medicaid Come With Disability Benefits?

Medicare and Medicaid may come with your disability benefits, depending on your case. If you qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits, you will automatically receive Medicare benefits after a two-year waiting period. Those who also qualify for...

Can I Get Disability Benefits After a Car Accident?

Car accidents are sometimes so devastating that they cause injuries and impairments the victims struggle with for the rest of their lives. Many of these people can no longer perform their previous job duties, forcing them to quit working. They face mounting medical...

What Is Disability Determination Services?

When you file a claim for Social Security Disability (SSD), there are many steps that you will have to follow and many agencies involved in determining whether or not you qualify for benefits. First, the Social Security Administration (SSA) will file your application...

If I Am Approved For SSDI, Will My Child Or Children Get Benefits?

If a disability prevents you from working to support your family, you might qualify for Social Security disability benefits. In some cases, your dependent child or children can also receive benefits. Several factors determine the benefits your children receive. These...

Do You Get Cost Of Living Increases (COLA) When You are on Disability?

Yes. You get automatic cost-of-living increases when you are on disability. A cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) is available to everyone who receives benefits from a Social Security program, including Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), Supplemental Security...

Who Determines Whether I’m Disabled?

While the Social Security Administration (SSA) is the agency in charge of processing disability benefit applications, a separate, federally funded state agency called the Disability Determination Services (DDS) determines whether you are disabled. Applying and getting...

How Much Does A Social Security Disability Attorney Get Paid?

The federal government limits how much a Social Security disability attorney gets paid. While other types of attorneys may require a retainer, Social Security disability lawyers work on a contingency basis, which means they only receive a fee if and when they win the...

How Do I Apply for Social Security Disability or SSI Benefits?

There are several ways to apply for disability benefits: online, in-person, or via phone. The application is not a simple, one-page form. There are numerous documents, forms, and records you will need to submit when applying. Take the time to familiarize yourself with...

Ways to Get Short-Term Disability Benefits

Sometimes health conditions temporarily prevent you from doing your job or maintaining other employment. For many families, this can lead to major financial concerns and stress in a matter of weeks. Luckily, you may have ways to get short-term disability benefits...

When Should You Apply for Social Security Disability or SSI?

You should apply for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits as soon as you are eligible. The Social Security Administration (SSA), which administers the SSDI program, can take about three to five months to make a decision after they receive your medical...

When Is a Person Considered Disabled by Social Security Disability?

Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) pays monthly cash benefits to people who the Social Security Administration (SSA) considers disabled. In order to qualify, you must have worked long enough at a job that paid in to the Social Security system and you must...

For How Long Can You Receive Social Security Disability Benefits?

There no set date that Social Security disability benefits will end, though several factors could trigger the end of these benefits. Among them: Type of Social Security disability benefits you receive Medical improvement Your earnings Your age Incarceration We...

Can You Work While On Disability?

Yes. However, you must either be part of a program or make less than a certain amount each month. Below, we discuss the options you might have to work while on disability. How much can I make on disability? Before we get into your options, we should first explain how...

Can I Get Disability for Degenerative Joint Disease?

Getting approved for disability benefits for degenerative joint disease (DJD) is a multi-step process. The first step is proving that your medical condition is severe enough to satisfy the Social Security Administration (SSA). The SSA uses the Blue Book, also called...

How Can I Get More Money From Social Security Disability?

Everyone wants to get all the benefits they deserve when they apply for Social Security disability (SSD), but most people receive payments that are far below the monthly maximum. For 2017, the maximum SSD benefit is $2,687 per month. However, the average benefit...

How Long Does It Take To Get Social Security Disability Back Pay?

In most cases, disability claimants should be able to receive their back pay, or the first installment thereof, within 60 days of being approved. However, because it can take months to navigate the Social Security Disability (SSD) system and approval process, by this...

What Are SSI Income Limits for Parents of a Disabled Child?

For their disabled child to qualify for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits, parents must meet established income limits. Fortunately, the Social Security Administration (SSA) only counts a portion of parents’ income when determining eligibility for the child....

How Is Social Security Disability Calculated?

The Social Security Administration (SSA) maintains two distinct disability benefit programs, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and calculates each benefit differently. In this article, we review the basic formulas the...

How Do I Check The Status on a Disability Claim or Case?

There are several ways to check the status of your claim, depending on which stage your case is currently in. If one of our attorneys at the Disability Advantage Group is representing you for your disability case, you can always call 865-999-0962 and speak to your...

Top 5 Reasons Why Mental Illness Disability Claims Are Denied

There are numerous mental disorders that can qualify someone for Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits, such as autism, schizophrenia, mood disorders, and anxiety disorders. In fact, of all the disability claims the Social Security Administration (SSA) receives...

How Much Does Social Security Disability Pay?

The Social Security Administration (SSA) does not have a set amount that it provides to all disability recipients. Rather, it considers a host of factors when determining claimants’ benefits. The first factor the SSA considers is which of the two disability benefit...

Are Social Security Disability Benefits Taxable?

The Social Security Administration (SSA) provides two different types of disability benefits — one is taxable, the other is not. If you receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits, you will not have to pay income taxes on those payments. However, if you...

How Much Money Can You Make While Receiving Social Security Disability?

The Social Security Administration (SSA) sets a limit on how much you can make and still qualify for Social Security disability benefits. This limit, which depends on the type of benefit you receive, changes every year. There are also rules for how much money you can...

What Medical Conditions Qualify for Social Security Disability?

There are various types of medical conditions that can qualify you for Social Security disability benefits, from anxiety disorders to cancer. If your condition, be it an illness or an injury, impairs you to the point that you can no longer work for an extended period...

What Is The Maximum Social Security Disability Benefit?

The maximum monthly Social Security disability benefit for 2017 is $2,687. However, most will not receive this maximum payout amount. To ensure you get the full amount of money you deserve each month, it is important to present a complete picture of your financial and...

Filling Out a Social Security Disability Report

Your application for Social Security Disability benefits depends on the accuracy and completeness of your application form, as it provides the basis and structure for your claim. As part of your application for Social Security Disability benefits, you will fill out a...

The Sure Way to Protect Social Security Disability

Congress should act to protect the solvency of Social Security to ensure that disability and retirement benefits are secure for this generation of workers and the next. The headlines have been filled in the last few years with stories detailing the precarious state of...

Real People’s Stories of SSDI Deserve to be Heard

Grand debates ignore the difficulties those waiting for benefits endure Many discussions of the Social Security Disability Insurance program focus on the grand issues. Questions of the long-term financial survival of the program and the debates in Congress over how to...

Loss of Social Security Disability puts Knoxville woman in tough spot

A woman with a seizure disorder lost her Social Security Disability payments but cannot go back to work without her medication. For many people in Tennessee, Social Security Disability payments are a matter of life and death. Having access to Medicare programs and...

Will Congress ever really fix Social Security Disability?

Funding for SSD is a problem, but a larger problem is Congress Social Security Disability had a close call last fall. Beneficiaries in Tennessee and across the nation would have seen an approximately 20 percent cut to their SSD checks somewhere in the next year or so...

Social Security Disability Insurance: Developing the medical record

On behalf of Jason Baril at the Disability Advantage Group An SSDI application must be supported by objective medical evidence of disability. In an application for Social Security Disability Insurance, supporting medical evidence of the claimant's impairments,...

The role of medical evidence in SSDI cases and how a lawyer can help

On behalf of Jason Baril at the Disability Advantage Group Both the Social Security Administration and the applicant have responsibility to develop the medical record. Monthly Social Security Disability Insurance payments can provide the financial safety net a person...

Social Security offers incentives to those who rejoin the workforce

Social Security has programs in place to help SSDI beneficiaries rejoin the workforce without losing their financial assistance. Social Security Disability benefits are designed to provide financial assistance to people who are no longer able to work because of a...

SSD claims involving mental disorders can introduce unique challenges

Documenting the disabling nature of mental disorders such as anxiety, depression or schizophrenia may be difficult for people seeking SSD benefits. Many people in Knoxville struggle with depression, anxiety, schizophrenia or other serious mental disorders. In 2012,...

Understanding the SSDI process in Tennessee

The process of applying for Social Security Disability benefits can be overwhelming, and requires the submissions of specific information and documentation. Most Tennessee residents don't plan on becoming disabled during their career. Studies reported by the Social...

Tennessee SSDI applicants may be eligible for speedy processing

Americans with certain chronic conditions may be able to have their SSDI application expedited through the Compassionate Allowances Program. Americans who suffer from certain medical conditions and disabilities who wish to apply for Social Security Disability...

How to claim SSDI for adult disabled children

Qualifying persons can apply to receive Social Security Disability payments for their adult children with disabilities to help provide for their care. In the state of Tennessee, data provided by the Disability Planning Data site shows that 16.2 percent of the state's...