Posts Tagged ‘SSDI eligibility’

Social Security advocacy warning: Don’t try this alone

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When you’re sick, do you attempt to treat yourself, or do you head to your doctor’s office? What about if your car breaks down, or if your home needs a repair? Would you do it yourself, or look to the experts?

Chances are you would leave those things to the experts, since you probably have limited experience. So, if you’ve never applied for Social Security Disability Insurance, why would you do it alone?

There are numerous benefits to working with an advocate as you make your way through the twists and turns of the Social Security Administration‘s application process. We’ve talked about these benefits before, and this week we issued a news release to further educate people on the advantages of having an expert on your side.

Take a look below to learn why you should consider consulting an advocate as you apply for the benefits you deserve.

6 Reasons to Get Help When Applying for Social Security Disability Insurance

The Advocator Group explains how an advocate can simplify the disability benefits application process

WAKEFIELD, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Prescriptions, medical paperwork, legal documents, court hearings, and incoming bills are often challenging realities for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) applicants. What’s often missing is time to focus on your recovery and well-being. On its new blog, The Advocator Group explains, “6 reasons to get help when you apply for disability benefits,” outlining how the guidance of an experienced Social Security advocate can alleviate stress and give you time to focus on you during the SSDI process.

“Becoming disabled brings on a multitude of new experiences for most people, and applying for Social Security benefits is a challenging one to face,” says Brett Albren, President of The Advocator Group. “A lack of experience can make this process extremely difficult to organize and understand, especially when you’ve recently become disabled. Having an experienced advocate on your side helps simplify the process and takes a lot of the burden off of your shoulders.” (more…)

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Posted on December 7, 2011 by Tim Carney

Fact: Every second, a worker in the U.S. becomes disabled. Then what?

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That is the question that Jon Arbay, Executive Director and founder of the National Association for Injured and Disabled Workers (NAIDW), found himself faced with after he suffered a disability that halted his career indefinitely.

It’s a situation that millions of disabled Americans suddenly find themselves in. Without the ability to go back to work, one of the only lights at the end of the financial tunnel might be the hope of Social Security benefits. But what can you do to help yourself if you experience a delay, or even a denial, of your benefits?

If you’re a member of the NAIDW, a national nonprofit that provides resources and support for disabled workers and their families, there’s a lot you can do. You can stay alert on news and issues that are critical to your condition, find support groups for yourself and youth programs for your children, apply for financial assistance, receive discounts on products and services from a community of professionals and specialists, connect with an entire online community of other disabled workers, and more.

At The Advocator Group, we support the work of the NAIDW. Since we work with claimants every day who are looking for additional support beyond Social Security Disability Insurance advocacy, we asked Jon to tell us more about the organization and his personal story that started it all.

Take a look at part one of our interview, where Jon introduces himself and the NAIDW.

Find out how you can get involved during part two of the interview.

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Posted on November 30, 2011 by Tim Carney

Disabled and preparing for the 2012 tax season

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Right now, it’s time to start thinking about the holiday season. And then, before you know it, you’ll be gearing up for tax season. This means moving from celebration and family into less joyful, personal finance calculations. It’s a necessary chore for everyone. But if this is your first year collecting Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), then you probably have some questions. We have some answers.

Now before we get into this, we just want to remind you that we are SSDI experts, not tax experts or advisers. So, what you are about to read is not tax advice. It’s just what we know about this issue.

I’m sure your first question is: Are my Social Security benefits taxable? The quick answer to that is yes. All Social Security benefits, with the exception of Supplemental Security Income, are subject to being taxed.

That said, Social Security provides a safety net that will help protect you from having your benefits eroded by taxes. The good news is that only about one-third of Social Security beneficiaries are currently paying taxes on their benefits.

For SSDI, the golden rule is: Low-income beneficiaries are generally not taxed at all, and all others will never be required to pay taxes on 100 percent of the Social Security benefits received on an annual basis.

As of the last publications by the IRS  in 2010, here’s how things break down:

  • Individual tax return. If you are the sole provider in your household and file your tax return as an individual, then the bar is set at $25,000. If you make that amount or less, your benefits will not be taxed. If you make more as an individual, anywhere from $25,000 to $34,000, then half of your benefits will be taxed.
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Posted on November 9, 2011 by Tim Carney

Getting smart about SSDI

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By 2016, the oldest of the baby boomers will be approaching 70. If that’s you, you might be thinking that you’ll be working up to that age, with your golden years stretching before you undisturbed.

But if you become disabled later in life, that might not be the case. Then what?

SmartMoney’s Catey Hill answers that question in her article, “What Happens If You Can’t Work Until Age 65?”

We see life-changing situations like this every day, so she asked me to provide SmartMoney’s readers with some tips on how to file for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI).

Make sure to give the article a read to see what I told her on applying for SSDI when the income you’ve depended on is no longer an option.

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Posted on November 1, 2011 by Tim Carney

You’re disabled, you can’t work: Can you get disability benefits?

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When you or a loved one has a disability that interferes with the ability to work consistently, or otherwise causes you hardship, how do you know if you qualify for federal disability benefits?

You can only imagine the bureaucracy and red tape that you have to go through to find out if you qualify. And you’ll certainly have concerns that if you answer just one question the wrong way, you’re claim will be denied.

Now there’s a new app from The Advocator Group that will put your mind at ease, and help you know if you qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits.

The new app for iPhone and Android, which we call Disability Answers, answers the questions people ask us the most about:

 

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Posted on September 27, 2011 by Tim Carney