Admitting You Are Unable to Work

Posted November 10, 2023 by Premier Disability Services, LLC®

We at Premier Disability Services, LLC work to secure disability benefits for our claimants. The Social Security Administration lists their definition of disability as being unable to engage in what they refer to as “Substantial Gainful Activity”, or SGA, due to medical issues that will last at least 12 months.[1] The Social Security Administration defines “Substantial Gainful Activity” as work intended to be performed for profit or pay.[2]

When you file a claim for disability, you are essentially admitting that you can no longer work. That’s a hard thing to admit. Whether you are the primary caretaker of your family or you work in order to afford a few extra luxuries, coming to terms with being unable to work is a heavy burden. It may be that a lot of your purpose is in your work. You may be very proud of the people that your work has helped. It can be tough to accept that your work is in the past.

Even if you were to try and go back to work, your body may not allow you to work for more than a few months before you start to fall apart. Your boss may realize that you’re a liability or you’re not as efficient as another new hire due to your impairments and may let you go. Being cast aside like that can make anyone upset and frustrated.

We at Premier want you to know that we understand just how rough of a time it may be for you to admit that you can no longer work like you used to. Without the ability to work, it might be hard to pay for expenses like food, housing, debt, and others. That is why we work hard every day to deal with Social Security so that you can get your benefits as soon as possible. Give us a call today so that we can help you get benefits that you need from the Social Security Administration.

By: Adam Sundling of Premier Disability Services, LLC®

[1] See https://www.ssa.gov/redbook/eng/definedisability.htm?tl=0

[2] Id.

Title XVI and Substitute of Party

Posted October 7, 2023 by Premier Disability Services, LLC®

When a member of your family dies, it can be hard to cope with the loss. When that person filed for Social Security benefits, dealing with their estate can be tough. They were waiting all that time to get benefits and possibly even back pay so that they could survive and pay bills.

            In some cases, only certain family members are eligible to receive the deceased’s benefits that they were supposed to receive from the Social Security Administration. In the filing of what is considered “needs-based” disability under Title XVI, actually known as Supplemental Security Income or SSI, only a surviving spouse can receive benefits.[1]

            This rule differs when it comes to a person who died having filed for Title II benefits more commonly referred to as “employment-based” disability benefits, actually known as Social Security Disability Income or SSDI. With Title II benefits, benefits that the spouse would have received follow a priority of order, starting with a spouse, then a child, then parents, then a spouse that is not living in the same house nor entitled to widower’s benefits, then a parent other than biological, adoptive, or step-parents, to then finally the legal representative of the estate of the deceased.[2]

            Therefore, although it is hard dealing with a passing in the family, it is important to know whether or not the benefits that the deceased person would have received would be payable to anyone. If you were the brother or sister of the deceased and they filed for Title XVI and they had no spouse, then no one would be getting their missing benefits after their death.

            We want you to know that at Premier Disability Services, LLC we are experts at understanding just how these rules apply. So if you allow us to represent you in your claim, you can rest assured that even after you pass, we will be able to make sure your benefits go to the right person.

By: Devon Brady of Premier Disability Services, LLC®

[1] 20 CFR § 416.542(b)

[2] 20 CFR § 404.503(b)

The Importance of Properly Filing your Taxes

Posted September 1, 2023 by Premier Disability Services, LLC®

Meeting both the medical and financial eligibility to receive disability benefits can be a daunting task. Your responsibilities not only include going to the doctor to fully document your impairments, but can also require that you accurately file your taxes.
A person can only be eligible for Title II disability, or SSDI, if they have worked for a certain length of time at above a certain level of income. [1] The income level changes every year, but the time requirement has remained the same over time.


In order to prove that you are insured and can receive SSDI benefits, you must have paid into Social Security and filed your taxes for any other jobs that you might have completed. Sometimes the Social Security Administration makes an honest mistake and cannot find your tax records that prove that you should be able to receive benefits. If possible, it may be beneficial to keep our tax records accessible so that you can show the Social Security Administration that you indeed made enough money to receive benefits. However, most of the time your employer reports your earnings and your Social Security payments are taken out of your paycheck automatically.


Being self-employed may create some complications to reporting your income. In order to possibly receive benefits, the Social Security Administration requires that if you made $400 or more in net earnings, you reported those earnings in your taxes. [2] Net earnings is the amount of money that you earned above the amount of losses you reported on your taxes. For example, if you earned $10,000 in profits from your business, but you lost $12,000 due to expenses or damages to products, then your net earnings would be $0 and you wouldn’t be paying into Social Security.


It’s imperative that in order to receive benefits from the Social Security Administration, that you not only filed your taxes but that your self-employment rose to the level where you had net earnings. In the year 2023, to get at least 1 credit, you would need to report net earnings of $1,640, with additional credits being earned, up to 4, for net earnings above $6,560. [3] While we at Premier Disability Services, LLC do not create eligibility for disability benefits, we can help you understand how to become eligible for benefits as well as discuss with you why the Social Security Administration has deemed you ineligible for benefits. So give us a call today so that we can discuss these complicated issues as your representative with you.

By: Devon Brady, of Premier Disability Services, LLC

1 See https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/disability/qualify.html
2 See SSA’s handout labeled EN-05-10022
3 See https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/disability/qualify.html