November is National Diabetes Awareness Month

November is Diabetes Awareness Month, and World Diabetes Day (WDD) is celebrated globally on November 14 to raise awareness about both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. One in 10 Americans have diabetes — that’s more than 30 million people. And another 84 million adults in the United States are at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes[1].

Diabetes is one of the leading causes of disability and death in the United States. It happens when the body doesn’t produce enough insulin to process glucose. It can cause blindness, nerve damage, kidney disease, and other health problems if it’s not controlled.

Symptoms of both diabetes type 1 and diabetes type 2 include frequent urination, unusual thirst and hunger, and extreme fatigue. People with type 2 diabetes also can suffer from tingling or numbness in the hands and feet, frequent infections, and cuts that are slow to heal.

Complications from diabetes can include:

• nephropathy (kidney disease);
• neuropathy (nerve damage) in feet or hands that disrupts your ability to stand, walk, or use your hands;
• retinopathy (eye and vision problems);
• cellulitis and other skin infections;
• hypertension (high blood pressure);
• heart disease;
• stroke;
• gastroparesis (a type of nerve damage that interferes with digestion);
• peripheral arterial disease (reduced blood flow to your limbs); and
• depression.

If you have uncontrolled diabetes and you have been prevented from working for at least 12 months, or you expect that you won’t be able to work for at least 12 months, then you may be eligible for Social Security disability (SSDI/SSD) benefits or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. The Social Security Administration (SSA) will look for information that shows how well you can use your arms and hands, stand, and walk. The SSA is also interested in whether you can focus on tasks, get along with others, and come to work on a regular basis. For instance, if you have poor control over your glucose levels during the day, the SSA might find that you are unable to concentrate for long periods of time. Similarly, if you have neuropathy in your legs from your diabetes, you might be unable to stand and walk for long periods of time.

If you or someone you know is unable to work due to a medical condition(s), please contact us for a free evaluation of your case!

[1] https://healthfinder.gov/NHO/NovemberToolkit.aspx

By: Tom Klint of Premier Disability Services, LLC^®

The Work History Report

Many people who apply for Social Security Disability benefits (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) don’t realize how important their work history is to their chances of being awarded benefits. SSDI and SSI are awarded to those with a severe, ongoing medical condition that prevents them from performing their current job, a past job, or any other work to which they may be suited. Your work history is critical in determining his or her ability to maintain gainful employment.

Disability decisions are based primarily upon two things: 1) information contained in your medical records and 2) your work history. In deciding your claim, the disability examiner, often with the help of a medical consultant, will review your medical records to determine your maximum residual functional capacity (RFC). An RFC assessment specifies activities that you can and cannot perform because of your medical impairment. The examiner then analyzes whether your RFC allows you to return to your prior job or any relevant jobs you’ve done in the past 15 years, or whether you have job skills that can transfer to another type of job.

The claims examiner will look closely at the requirements of your prior jobs to see if you should be able to return to one of them, given your RFC. The examiner needs to know the details of the prior work you’ve done to determine if you can return to it, or if your impairment precludes you from doing the job. If the examiner doesn’t know the true requirements of the job, the examiner might think you’re able to do the job when you’re not. For example, if your job required that you had to occasionally lift 50 pounds, but you’ve been given a “light RFC” due to a back injury, the examiner should find that you can’t go back to the past work. But, if the examiner doesn’t know that your prior job required you to lift 50 pounds occasionally, the examiner could say that you should be able to return to your prior job, and can deny you benefits on that basis.

Those who apply for disability benefits can improve their chances of approval by providing a solid work history at the time of their initial interview or in their Work History Report (Form SSA-3369) detailing their job duties. In addition to providing information about prior job duties and skills, a long work history can show a judge that you have been a hard worker, not just someone looking for a handout. This can help your credibility at a hearing.

The Work History Report will ask about your past job titles, duties required in each position, and the skills and experience you gained in each job. From this, the Social Security Administration (SSA) can gain insight into the physical and mental requirements of your former work, as well as your job skills that affect the kinds of jobs you are qualified to do.

Consistency and completeness are crucial concepts to keep in mind when you fill out every form. Never leave any question or field in the form blank. Even if you are not sure if the question applies to you, make sure you enter something in every answer section of the form. When blanks are left on the form, the SSA must collect more information before they can make a decision on your SSD claim. This only delays the decision-making process. Furthermore, you should provide additional information when needed. Some sections of the Work History Report ask for “further explanation” of the answers you provide. Make your responses in these sections thoroughly detailed. For example, the form asks you to explain “lifting and carrying” activities that were part of your job. Ensure your answer includes detailed descriptions of what you lifted and carried, how often, and why.

A licensed advocate or attorney can help you make sure that your statements improve your chances of receiving disability benefits rather than harming them. If you or someone you know is unable to work due to a medical condition(s), please contact us for a free evaluation of your claim!

By: Joyce Trudeau of Premier Disability Services, LLC^®

Disability Applications and Benefit Awards Decreasing

The New York Times reports that the number of applicants for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) has fallen even faster since 2015 than the Social Security Administration (SSA) expected. Disability applications and benefit awards have been decreasing for nearly a decade. The shift is significant, and it is good news for SSDI’s finances.

SSDI applications and awards have fallen by over 25 percent since 2010, while the number of beneficiaries has dropped by over 600,000 over the past four years. The SSA’s trustees estimate that the share of Americans receiving SSDI will remain consistent over the next 20 years.

The SSA’s actuaries and other experts previously predicted this downward trend. Though the number of beneficiaries grew for most of SSDI’s history, the increase mostly reflected demographic factors: the population increased; baby boomers aged into late middle age, when the odds of becoming disabled rise sharply; and more women joined the workforce, paid into Social Security, and earned coverage. Meanwhile, the rise in Social Security’s retirement age to 66 means that workers who become disabled remain in SSDI longer before switching into retirement benefits.

The receipt of SSDI benefits, as well as program costs, have since fallen as demographic and economic pressures eased. As more boomers reach retirement, the number of workers receiving SSDI declined. Men and women now qualify for benefits in nearly equal numbers. Likewise, SSDI applications fell significantly as the economy and job market recovered.

In the last few years, SSDI applications and awards have fallen even faster than predicted. The SSA’s actuaries note that the drop in the number of beneficiaries has been steeper than in past economic recoveries, and they are trying to understand why. One factor is SSA budget cuts, which forced field office closures that led to “large and persistent reductions” in the number of disability beneficiaries. The cuts also contributed to a record-breaking backlog in disability appeals, which may deter many applicants. Another factor is falling allowance rates for disability appeals. The trustees have been cautious in interpreting short-term trends, and they assume that the declines will taper off in the next several years.

SSDI’s financial outlook has improved significantly as a result of declining enrollment. As the program shrank, its costs fell as a share of taxable payroll, and that share is expected to remain stable over the long term. A recent Social Security trustees’ report projected that SSDI’s trust fund will remain fully funded through 2032 — a full decade later than the 2022 date that the trustees projected three years ago.

SSDI’s financial improvement also means that policymakers have time to develop a comprehensive plan to address Social Security’s long-term funding shortfall before the combined reserves for the retirement and disability programs are depleted in 2034 — that is, a plan that protects the millions of workers who rely on earned disability benefits when they become too sick or hurt to work and support their families.

Source: https://www.cbpp.org/blog/social-security-disability-insurance-shrinking-even-faster-than-expected

By: Joyce Trudeau of Premier Disability Services, LLC^®