Today is March 16, 2021 and it has been exactly one year since my last in-person disability hearing. Three Hundred and Sixty-Five days of uncertainty, changes, delays, and weirdness. We have managed to continue with hearings over the phone. If you have a pending hearing you probably have received a COVID 19 hearing changes letter describing the choices between waiting…Read More
Social Security disability hearings continue to be done by telephone at this point; however, the use of video is on the horizon ( see this link: bit.ly/3jSncNS). While I applaud SSA's intent to provide the best possible service while not putting the brakes on the hearing process, I think that they are overstating the possibilities with the video hearings. The…Read More
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic no in-person hearings are being offered at the moment. As of this writing, we know that this will be true through at least October 2020, but expect that it may be even longer than that before we are allowed back in the Social Security buildings for face-to-face hearings. In the meantime, Social Security hearings are…Read More
This is a little off topic for my practice, but not off topic for the world we live in. At Lund Law Carolina we aim to treat all of our clients with respect and we strive to understand the difficult situations that exist in each client’s life that has led them to our office. These are challenging times for all…Read More
I've had a lot of calls this week regarding the COVID19 crisis. The bottom line is that Social Security is still working. If you are currently receiving benefits your benefits will not stop. Social Security is working as hard as they can under the circumstances to get your claim for disability processed and Disability Determinations Services (DDS) in North Carolina…Read More
“How are you doing?” is a loaded question for my disabled clients. I've learned to ask, "How are you doing today?" instead. This week in a disability hearing, when the judge asked my client how he was doing, my thoughtful client struggled with how to answer. After thinking for a moment he responded, “My spirit is well.” I loved that…Read More
As you may know, if you have paid enough into the Social Security system you are eligible to receive early retirement when you turn 62. Just because you elect to take your retirement at that point does not mean that you cannot also file for disability benefits. In fact, you can file for disability up until the point that you…Read More
If you’ve been denied twice by Social Security the next step is to request a hearing. When the hearing is scheduled you will receive a written notice that includes the “When, Where, and What” details for the hearing. The hearing notice will likely include a notice that a Vocational Expert has been scheduled to testify at your hearing (and potentially…Read More
There are multiple types of benefits that you can file for that are generically called disability benefits. For each of them, you must be found to be medically disabled before you are eligible to receive the benefits. The primary benefit that most people are filing for is a Title II disability benefit. This is the benefit that you can receive…Read More
Not all disabilities are disabling. The definition of disability through Social Security is often different than how private disability insurance policies and state disability pensions define disability. It is very important to understand what makes someone disabled in the eyes of Social Security before deciding to file a claim for those benefits. While you may have a health limitation that…Read More
