So happy to hear that Social Security Administration District Offices, ie Field Offices are reopening this Thursday, April 7th! https://secure.ssa.gov/ICON/main.jsp The Social Security Administration has tried to merge 3 phone systems from Field Offices, Office of Hearings and Operations and…
On January 14, 2022, the Social Security Administration (SSA) https://www.ssa.gov and the Association of Administrative Law Judges reached a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). According to NOSSCR, “ALJs covered by the union can volunteer to hold in-person hearings beginning on May…
In August 2021, the Acting Commissioner of the Social Security Administration (SSA), Kilolo Kijakazi, announced 12 New Compasssionate Allowances (see my earlier blogs for a list of other Compassionate allownce cases) to add to a list of 254 conditions. This…
The Social Security Administration (SSA) is, currently, reviewing Supplemental Security Income (SSI), need based cases, back to the start of the Covid-19 pandemic to determine where there were reductions made from Covid-19 financial assistance. If there were reductions or your…
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, in October 2020, the Social Security Administration’s Office of Hearings and Operations (OHO) had put a moratorium on dismissals of social security disability hearings (SSI, SSDI/DIB, Widow/Widower's, DAC etc. applications) by Administrative Law Judges (ALJs).…
Due to the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Social Security Administration will be scheduling limited in person physical consultative medical examinations (CE)s conducted by internists in Atlanta, GA. As far as consultative psychological CEs, some will be conducted virtually…
Chief Administrative Law Judge Patrick Nagle of the Social Security Administration’s Office of Hearings Operations (OHO) https://www.ssa.gov/appeals/about_us.html is temporarily suspending dismissals for untimely hearing requests and failure to appear due to Covid-19 according to the National Association of Social Security Representatives…
At the end of March 2020 due to Covid-19, the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) Office of Hearings and Operations (OHO) moved from in person hearings to telephone hearings at the Atlanta downtown OHO, Covington OHO, Alpharetta OHO, Savannah OHO, Macon…
During the COVID-19 pandemic from April 10, 2020 until further notice, SSA is NOT acting on the following cases based upon NOSSCR’s June 2020 newsletter. https://nosscr.org: 1. Medical Continuing Disability Reviews (CDRs) -This is good news for any adult or…
During the month of July, we commemorate National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month following the 2008 resolution by Congress. http://www.nami.org/Get-Involved/Awareness-Events/Minority-Mental-Health-Awareness-Month/Learn-About-Minority-Mental-Health-Month This resolution honors the legacy of Bebe Moore Campbell, an award winning African-American author, journalist, and teacher, who helped to…
At a past fundraiser for the Sisters Network in Atlanta, GA, I learned of the need for breast cancer awareness in the African American community. Breast cancer is the most common cancer amongst all women. http://www.cdc.gov/ cancer/dcpc/data/ women.htm For women under…
The Social Security Administration (SSA) eliminated Medical Listing 9.08. For complications from diabetes, this listing previously resulted in a finding of disability at step three of the sequential evaluation process for social security disability claims. https://www.ssa.gov/disability/professionals/bluebook/9.00-Endocrine-Adult.htm In fact, effective June…
Beginning in April 2015, the Social Security Administration (SSA) created new internal Hallex regulations requiring representatives to submit all existing evidence related to a client’s mental or physical impairments. In the past, representatives were not required to submit evidence that…
Marking a Social Security Milestone August 14, 2015 is the 80th anniversary of Social Security. Few Americans working today can remember a time when Social Security wasn’t part of the social fabric of America. Since the Social Security retirement program…
If you are applying for Disability Insurance benefits (DIB or SSDI) under Title II and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) under Title 16 of the Social Security Disability Act, you quickly realize that this government program cannot provide the swift help…
I recently had the unique opportunity of dining with a group of women from the U.S. Armed Services who proudly served our country. As with female and male veterans whom I have assisted with social security disability claims over the…
In recent years, social security disability attorneys have been dismayed by the social security disability program being under attack. Led by Oklahoma Senator Tom Colburn, media sources such as 60 minutes and PBS have circulated biased accounts of fraudulent Supplemental…
Unfortunately, fibromyalgia is the type of medical condition that has been misunderstood by some Adjudicators at Disability Adjudication Services (DAS), as well as Administrative Law Judges (ALJs) at the Office of Disability Adjudication and Review (ODAR). Thankfully, there is Social…
Effective April 20, 2013, to the relief of Attorneys/Representatives and some Administrative Law Judges (ALJs), the Office of Adjudication and Review (ODAR), will once again disclose the names of the Judges when hearing notices are mailed. Please see my prior…
1. Nicole, a 28 year old female, was a refugee from New Orleans post Hurricane Katrina. Growing up with severe Crohn’s disease, Nicole had much of her small intestines removed at 9 years of age. Nicole’s mother was a drug…