Postponing a Social Security Disability Hearing

Posted November 6, 2015 by Premier Disability Services, LLC® In many cases, a Social Security Disability claimant may wait almost two years to have their hearing in front of an Administrative Law Judge scheduled for a specific date and time.  The increasing wait times further increase how valuable hearing dates actually are to both claimants and the Social Security Administration (SSA).  However, even though a claimant’s hearing date is extremely valuable, there may be circumstances where a claimant needs to postpone their hearing to a later date.
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What is a “closed period” of Disability?

Posted November 2, 2015 by Premier Disability Services, LLC® In order for a claimant to be found disabled under Social Security’s guidelines, they must have a medically determinable impairment that has lasted, or is expected to last 12 months or greater (or result in death).  In some cases, a claimant may have a condition that meets this durational requirement but has now improved.  This is referred to as a “closed period” claim for disability benefits.  It is not entirely uncommon for a claimant suffering from a disabling condition to realize enough medical improvement through treatment, surgery, or medication changes to allow them to return to the work force.  This does not necessarily mean they cannot be paid benefits for the time period they did meet Social Security’s definition of disability.
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2016 Cost of Living Adjustment: Not This Year

Posted October 22, 2015 by Premier Disability Services, LLC® The Social Security Administration has announced some sad news for beneficiaries eagerly anticipating a cost of living adjustment (COLA) in 2016. For only the third time since COLAs began in 1975, there will be no adjustment to benefit rates in 2016 based on cost of living. SSA reports that benefits are increased annually to keep up with increased cost of living as measured by the Consumer Price Index. According to SSA, there has actually been a decline in the Consumer Price Index which means no COLA is warranted for 2016.
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