Does Smoking Affect my Disability Claim?

We all know that smoking is bad for you. However, there are also many ways that smoking can adversely affect your claim for disability benefits. Consider, for example, that:

1. If you have COPD, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, or any other lung impairment, and you consistently have trouble breathing, smoking will only make those impairments worse.  For instance, if you need to be on supplemental or home oxygen, it is dangerous to smoke near oxygen. By continuing to smoke, you put your life in danger, as well as the life of anyone in the vicinity. Also, if you tell the judge you cannot breathe, have trouble breathing, or are constantly short of breath, the judge may not believe it is really that bad if you are continuing to smoke.
2. Your heart is directly affected by your lung health. If you have heart problems, you definitely should not be smoking. Both organs are compromised when you smoke. The nicotine in cigarettes constricts blood vessels, making it harder for your body to pump blood and get it into the bones and muscles that need it. This puts additional stress on your heart, organs, and tissues.
3. Smoking can impair healing.  If you have an orthopedic impairment, it can be harder for your body to heal if you smoke. For example, if you have back surgery and continue to smoke, your healing is slowed because the capillaries are constricted and the bones and muscles cannot properly heal if the blood cannot be circulated through the damaged area at an optimal rate.
4. Your claim may be denied if smoking caused your disability. In other words, if your smoking is a material reason why you developed your disabling condition, your application for benefits may be denied. For example, if you are a lifetime smoker who is claiming Social Security disability because of emphysema, you may not be eligible for Social Security disability benefits.
5. Finally, a reason that many people do not think of and do not realize until told: If you tell the judge that you cannot fill your prescriptions or go to the doctor because you cannot afford it, yet you smoke a pack or two per day, you have basically just told the judge that smoking is more important to you than medical care or your health. An average pack of cigarettes costs more than $8 in Minnesota. If you smoke a pack per day, you are spending almost $250 per month on cigarettes. If the judge does the math on that, he or she may assume that your health is not as bad as you say it is because otherwise you would spend that money on medications and/or doctor’s appointments.

If you are suffering from a disabling impairment and believe that you are unable to work because of that impairment, PLEASE STOP SMOKING.  Your health and your disability claim will fare better if you do. You may also contact us for a free evaluation of your claim.

Contact our office today if you or anyone you know would like to learn more about qualifying for Social Security Disability benefits.

By: Joyce Trudeau of Premier Disability Services, LLC®

April is National Minority Health Month

With the nation advised to stay in and around their homes, this National Minority Health Month the Office of Minority Health (OMH) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will highlight the theme Active & Healthy and focus on safe ways all communities can stay physically active and advance mental and emotional wellness.

“Join us throughout April as we encourage everyone to take simple and creative steps to stay active and support physical, mental and emotional wellness. This year, we invite everyone to join #ActiveandHealthy, a national social media campaign that will focus on the steps the nation can take every day in and around the home to keep our minds and bodies active, consistent with the social distancing guidelines to stop the spread of COVID-19. Daily themes will highlight simple steps people can take to maintain and sustain an active and healthy lifestyle while reducing stress and anxiety.”

#ActiveandHealthy will promote and share the steps we can take each day to stay active and healthy during #NMHM2020 and throughout the year. The campaign will include creative ways to keep older adults and children safe and physically engaged, along with ideas to stay connected with friends, family and communities.

Remember—becoming active and healthy in and around your home to stay physically and mentally well, while doing your part to slow the spread of COVID-19, is possible through simple changes to your daily routine—so get involved this #NMHM2020.

See more here: https://www.minorityhealth.hhs.gov/nmhm/index.html

Contact our office today if you or anyone you know would like to learn more about qualifying for Social Security Disability benefits.

By: Joyce Trudeau of Premier Disability Services, LLC®

Do I Still Get a Stimulus Check if I am Disabled?

The $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus bill, signed into law on March 27, is the largest emergency aid package in U.S. history. Known as the CARES Act, it will send money directly to tens of millions of Americans affected by the coronavirus.

If you’ve already filed your 2019 taxes, the IRS will use those returns to determine your payment. If not, your 2018 returns will be used to calculate your check. Individuals with an adjusted gross income of $75,000 or less will be eligible for a one-time payment of up to $1,200 ($2,400 for joint tax returns) and $500 for each qualifying child. Those with little or no tax liability also will get $1,200 ($2,400 for joint returns).

If you receive Social Security benefits for retirement, disability or Supplemental Security Income, you are eligible to receive a stimulus check as long as you do not exceed the income limits. “If someone did not file a return for 2018 or 2019, they could still receive a check if they received Social Security retirement or disability benefits in 2019,” said one tax expert.

On April 1, the Treasury Department and IRS announced, “Social Security beneficiaries who are not typically required to file tax returns will not need to file an abbreviated tax return to receive an economic impact payment. Instead, payments will be automatically deposited into their bank accounts.”

According to the Treasury, “The IRS will use the information on the Form SSA-1099 and Form RRB-1099 to generate $1,200 Economic Impact Payments to Social Security recipients who did not file tax returns in 2018 or 2019. Recipients will receive these payments as a direct deposit or by paper check, just as they would normally receive their benefits.”

“Social Security recipients who are not typically required to file a tax return need to take no action, and will receive their payment directly to their bank account,” said Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin.

The IRS will post all key information on IRS.gov/coronavirus as soon as it becomes available.

Please also note that the IRS has a reduced staff in many of its offices but remains committed to helping eligible individuals receive their payments expeditiously. You can check for updated information on IRS.gov/coronavirus rather than calling IRS assistors who are helping process 2019 returns.

If you have a serious, long-term health condition that will make you unable to work for over 12 months, contact us today to see if applying for disability is right for you.

Sources: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/01/whos-eligible-for-covid-19-stimulus-checks-your-questions-answered.html ; https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/04/01/bailout-checks-social-security/ ; https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/04/01/coronavirus-stimulus-how-get-1-200-check-if-you-dont-file-taxes/5102819002/

By: Joyce Trudeau of Premier Disability Services, LLC®