Social Security Disability Benefits for Residents of Puerto Rico

Posted December 16, 2016 by Premier Disability Services, LLC® 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 credits” by paying taxes into the Social Security system; however, they are not eligible to receive SSI payments.

The application process for residents of Puerto Rico is largely similar to that of residents of the 50 states. The first stage of the Social Security Disability application process takes a Puerto Rico resident approximately 3-4 months to complete. More than 50% of applications are denied at this stage. If you are denied, you may file an appeal. The first stage of appeals is called a Request for Reconsideration, which takes another 3-4 months to complete. Again, the majority of these requests are denied. You may then pursue the second level of disability appeals, which is a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ). Depending on the area of Puerto Rico that you live in, it can take anywhere from 289 to 550 days to be scheduled for this disability hearing due to the current hearing backlog.

The agency responsible for scheduling hearings for these claimants is known as the Office of Disability Adjudication and Review (ODAR). The area of Puerto Rico that you live in will determine which ODAR office manages your disability case and the backlog of that office determines how long you must wait for your disability hearing to be scheduled.

Having an experienced representative can increase your chances of being awarded benefits by the ALJ deciding your claim. If you are interested in help applying for SSDI benefits in Puerto Rico, please contact us and let us help you apply for Social Security Disability.

By: Joyce Trudeau of Premier Disability Services, LLC®

Social Security Announces 0.3% Benefit Increase for 2017

Posted December 9, 2016 by Premier Disability Services, LLC® 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 8 million SSI beneficiaries will begin on December 30, 2016. The Social Security Act ties the annual COLA to the increase in the Consumer Price Index as determined by the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Some other adjustments that take effect in January of each year are based on the increase in average wages. Based on that increase, the maximum amount of earnings subject to the Social Security tax (taxable maximum) will increase to $127,200 from $118,500. Of the estimated 173 million workers who will pay Social Security taxes in 2017, about 12 million will pay more because of the increase in the taxable maximum.

Information about Medicare changes for 2017, when announced, will be available at www.Medicare.gov. For some beneficiaries, their Social Security increase may be partially or completely offset by increases in Medicare premiums.

The Social Security Act provides for how the COLA is calculated. To read more, please visit www.socialsecurity.gov/cola.

By: Thomas Klint of Premier Disability Services, LLC®

World AIDS Day was December 1st

Posted December 2, 2016 by Premier Disability Services, LLC® 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 time in 1988.

Fewer people died of HIV in 2015 than at any point in almost 20 years, while new HIV infections are at the lowest point since 1991, as the World Health Organization noted in its 2016 progress report. That may be in part because at least two million new people began taking antiretroviral therapy in 2015, the largest annual increase ever in the history of the disease. There are, however, an estimated 34 million people who currently have the virus. Despite the virus only being identified in 1984, more than 35 million people have died of HIV or AIDS, making it one of the most destructive pandemics in history.

Today, scientific advances have been made in HIV treatment, there are laws to protect people living with HIV, and we understand much more about the condition. Despite this, many people do not know the facts about how to protect themselves and others, and stigma and discrimination remain a reality for many people living with the condition.

World AIDS Day is important because it reminds the public and governments that HIV has not gone away – there is still a vital need to raise money, increase awareness, fight prejudice and improve education.

If you or someone that you know has been diagnosed with HIV or AIDS, please contact us for a free evaluation of your claim.

Source: http://www.disability-links.com/december-1-world-aids-day/