What Are The Symptoms Of Congestive Heart Failure
Congestive heart failure is not a one-size-fits-all diagnosis. But what it doesnt mean is that the hearts not working at all. It is still trying to do its job.
However, CHF compromises the ability of the heart to efficiently pump blood through the other organs of the body. Failure may be systolic , or diastolic . Or both. And sometimes it may present as an enlargement of the heart as well.
In a person with CHF, the walls of the heart become too weak or stiff to function correctly. This leads to an accumulation of fluids in the body and congestion in the hearts tissues.
Symptoms of congestive heart failure may include:
- Build-up of bodily fluids
CHF may manifest as a mild to moderate impairment at first but may worsen over time without proper treatment. Though it is not curable, lifestyle changes, medication, and frequent monitoring can slow its advancement.
What Are Remanded Ssdi Cases
A remanded disability case is when the Social Security Appeals Council sends your claim back to the Administrative Law Judge for another hearing.
The Appeals Council typically remands a claim if the ALJs decision has an error of law or is not supported by substantial evidence.
The Notice of Remand will include specific instructions for the ALJ on how to proceed with the case.
Monitor The Progress Of Your Application
Once you send your Social Security application, Social Security will start reviewing your application, and it can take 3 to 5 months to get a decision. During the application process, Social Security will review the evidence and any other records you provided to make a decision.
Monitoring the progress of your application can help know if Social Security needs any additional information. If there are missing documents, you should provide them as soon as possible. Once all the information has been provided, the application can proceed, and Social Security will decide on your application.
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What’s The Difference Between Social Security Disability Insurance And Supplemental Security Income
While SSDI is an earned benefit based on Social Security taxes you’ve paid in during your career, you can receive SSI payments without ever having worked.
Both SSDI and SSI pay benefits to people that the Social Security Administration determines have physical or mental disabilities severe enough to prevent them from engaging in “substantial gainful activity” for at least a year or that are expected to end in their death.
The Social Security Administration generally uses the same medical criteria to determine if a disability entitles an adult to SSDI or SSI and collecting both benefits is allowed.
SSDI is an earned benefit. As with retirement benefits, it comes from paying Social Security taxes during the course of your employment. In 2022, the estimated average monthly SSDI benefit was $1,358.
The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.
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What Happens If Social Security Overpays You
If Social Security determines that there’s been an error and your disability benefits have been overpaid, youre required to repay the overpayment, in most cases. Social Security will send you a notice of overpayment that explains your repayment options.
If you’re getting SSDI benefits, Social Security will withhold your monthly benefit check until the overpayment is paid off, starting 30 days after you receive the overpayment notice. You can contact Social Security and ask that less be withheld, but you’ll need the agency to agree.
With SSI disability benefits, Social Security will wait at least 60 days after you receive the overpayment notice to begin withholding some of your benefits. And the agency generally holds back only 10% of the maximum monthly SSI benefit amountwhich is $914 in 2023. So no matter how much your monthly SSI check is, Social Security will usually withhold about $90 each month until the overpayment is repaid.
As with other decisions made by Social Security, you have the right to appeal an overpayment notice. Learn more about disability overpayments.
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Chapter : What Are The Symptoms And Signs Of Peripheral Neuropathy
KEY POINTS:
Distal motor symptoms in your upper extremities may include impaired fine hand coordination. Such symptoms can leave you are struggling to type or you find it difficult to perform certain tasks such as turning the keys to lock a door, or opening jars. Distal motor symptoms in your lower extremities can be experienced as foot slapping, toe scuffing or frequent tripping.
Other motor symptoms may include muscle shrinking, painful cramps, and uncontrolled twitching.
Furthermore, autonomic neuropathies have symptoms that correlate to the anatomic site of nerve damage as follows:
- gastrointestinal symptoms
Answer A Few Questions To Check Your Eligibility
Getting disability benefits is not easy unless you have an extremely severe or terminal illness most people who apply for disability are denied benefits because the SSA believes there is some type of job they can do. It can help your chances of getting benefits to learn about how the system works, what the various approval rates are for each level of the process, and tips to improve your chances.
You could be eligible for up to $3,345 per month In SSDI Benefits
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Question: Do certain disabilities have a better chance of being approved for benefits after an appeal hearing? If so, why?
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Disability attorneys and advocates get paid only if you win, so they do what they can to give you the best chance of success.
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Contains the most important thing to know to improve your chances: what the SSA wants to see for your particular condition. Covers over 200 medical conditions.
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You Had To Leave Your Last Job For Health Reasons
Your testimony is critical to getting approved for disability. But it is rarely enough on its own. And it is not as powerful as actual examples.
You have a stronger disability claim if you can offer proof that you struggled the last few months that you did work or that your employer disciplined you because you could not perform as expected. Indeed, a former employers letter or testimony that your performance declined as you got sicker puts you in a better position to win.
Similarly, evidence that you tried to return to work but failed because of your mental or physical impairments is credible if offered by a neutral third party.
Your Condition Meets A Blue Book Listing
If you can show that your disabling condition meets the criteria found in a Blue Book listing, then this is a sign you may be awarded disability benefits. If you cannot meet any listing you may qualify through a medical vocational allowance and by completing a residual functional capacity form after tests conducted by your doctor.
Under Social Security’s rules, anyone that is capable of performing “Substantial Gainful Activity” is not eligible for disability benefits. In 2022, the SGA limit is $1,350 monthly for anyone who is not blind and $2,260 for those who are considered to be statutorily blind. Anyone who earns more than the monthly SGA limit wont qualify for disability benefits.
However, if you have earned enough work credits in your working life, you earned less than the SGA you may be eligible to claim disability benefits. Just like your disability being listed in the SSA Blue Book isnt an automatic guarantee of eligibility for disability benefits, earning a monthly income that falls below the SGA limit isnt a guarantee that your disability benefits application will be approved.
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Your Disability Must Specifically Make You Unable To Perform Your Usual Job Duties Regularly For 40 Hours A Week
This is one of the trickier disability secrets, since some jobs are easier to do than others with your current limitations. But if you can still perform the tasks listed in your job description, you likely wont qualify for monthly benefits. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, your employer must provide Reasonable Accommodation for disabled employees.
One of the biggest disability secrets people ask about is, How can I prove Icannot work during my DDS exam? The answer is simple, actually! If you drop a pencil on the floor and cannot pick it up without help, youre disabled. And if you cant walk across a room without assistance, youre disabled. Finally, if you must alternate sitting and standing throughout the day or cannot lift anything heavier than 5 lbs., then youre disabled. Of all disability secrets we know, this one may be the most valuable!
How Can I Tell If I Am Disabled Enough To Apply For Social Security Disability Benefits
You have reached this article because you applied for disability and want to know whether you will be approved for benefits.
Unfortunately, the disability process is challenging, and it can seem like you are not getting anywhere. Indeed, the Social Security Administration denies most disability claims at the initial level.
Your chances get better, however, if you appeal the initial denial. Recent SSA statistics indicate that award rates increase at the administrative hearing level.
Why am I telling you this? Because I want you to know that although no attorney can guarantee that the SSA will approve your disability claim, some factors point to a successful outcome. And knowing this can help you remain optimistic while fighting for your Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income benefits.
This article details the top nine signs that indicate you will get approved for disability. Of course, every case is different, but these signs are a good starting place to gauge if your disability application might be successful.
However, it is not exhaustive. You may still qualify for disability even if you do not meet each of these criteria. But I recommend speaking with a disability attorney to discuss what you can do to improve your chances.
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How To Get Ssd: Disability Requirements For Each Program
Both SSD programs offer benefits to people living with disabilities, but SSDI requires that you have a work history of a specific duration to be approved. You may qualify for SSI, on the other hand, without having worked at any time in your life, but it has very severe limits. $2,000 for individuals and $3,000 for couples, on the financial resources available to you. No such limitations apply to SSDI.
Another distinguishing feature of SSI, as opposed to SSDI, is that children may be eligible to receive benefits as long as they meet all the criteria to qualify. If you qualify for SSI, you also may be eligible for Medicaid to assist with medical needs depending on the laws and policies in place in the state in which you currently live.
Before You Apply For Disability Benefits
Before you apply for benefits, make sure you have the names and addresses of all doctors and clinics you’ve visited over the last five years, and the names and addresses of your employers from the last 15 years. But applying for benefits involves more than putting contact information in the disability application. The most important step you can take is to make sure that you have enough information in your medical records for Social Security to make a decision on your claim.
When you’re ready to apply, see our article on applying for Social Security disability benefits.
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Supporting Medical Records + Clear And Specific Description Of Symptoms = Good Chance For Favorable Decision
Whether we present a listing argument, or a functional capacity argument or both, we will need what Social Security calls a longitudinal treatment record. This means that there should be on-going and consistent treatment with a psychologist, psychiatrist or mental health counselor. In addition, we will need to practice your presentation of symptoms until you are able to clearly and descriptively describe what you are going through.
When you are my client I will meet with you a week or so prior to your hearing so that I can listen to how you speak and describe your symptoms. I also use this pre-hearing meeting to practice your testimony and prepare my direct examination to fit your way of talking.
- How to prepare for your PTSD hearing if you are a combat veteran my 2016 blog post explaining how I have changed how I prepare my combat veteran clients for SSD hearings
Do You Pay Taxes On Social Security Disability Benefits
If you’ve just begun receiving Social Security disability, or you soon will, you might have questions about whether or not your disability income can be taxed. While most people don’t have to pay taxes on disability income, you could be taxed on up to 85% of your Social Security disability benefit. But you’ll generally owe taxes only if you have another source of substantial income . The more you make, the larger the portion of your disability benefit that’s subject to tax.
For instance, if you and your spouse have a combined income of more than $44,000 per year and you file a joint tax return , you’ll likely pay taxes on 85% of your disability benefits. But if you and your spouse have a combined income between $32,000 and $44,000 per year, you’ll pay taxes on only 50% of your disability benefits.
That means that no matter your income or tax filing status, at least 15-50% of your SSDI disability check isn’t taxed. Note that SSI disability benefits aren’t subject to taxes.
Learn more about when Social Security disability benefits are taxable.
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How Long Does It Take To Get Social Security Approval
The approval process for your Social Security application can take 3 to 5 months to receive a Social Security award letter. How quickly your application is approved depends on how fast you submit the required documentation, depending on the type of Social Security benefits you are applying for. Upon approval, you’ll receive your first Social Security check via direct deposit or in your Direct Express Debit card.
If you are applying for disability benefits, you must wait five months before you can receive the first benefits payment. This means that you will receive the first payment in the sixth month after the date Social Security determines your disability began. For example, if your disability started on June 15, 2021, and you submitted your application on July 1, 2021, you’ll get your first payment in December 2020, covering the sixth full month of your disability.
How To Apply For Ssdi Benefits For Ptsd
To prove eligibility, the Social Security Administration will review your medical records and take into consideration various types of information related to your PTSD condition. Our legal team can help you work to prove that your mental impairment satisfies the legal requirements to establish entitlement to disability benefits.
Information that will be considered includes:
- When you were diagnosed with a post-traumatic stress disorder
- How long you have been undergoing treatment
- Treatments and prescription medications you are taking
- Other medical conditions you have
- Your expected prognosis
At Coats & Todd, we serve clients throughout the entire Dallas-Fort Worth metro area to help them obtain the disability benefits that they deserve.
To speak to one of our Dallas-Fort Worth Social Security disability attorneys about your case, call our office at 972-671-9922 or contact us online to request an initial consultation.
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Approval Rates At Different Ages
Our survey revealed an upward curve in approval rates for SSDI from younger readers to those in their sixties. About half of readers age 50 or older were ultimately approved, while nearly two-thirds of those in the 60-65 age group received benefits. Social Security recognizes that people in their fifties and sixties are more likely to have medical conditions that have deteriorated to the point where they can no longer work, and Social Security’s “grid” rules support this reality.
You Have Earned Enough Work Credits
You earn work credits by paying Social Security taxes. If you earn enough work credits, then the SSA may approve your disability claim. In 2021, American workers gained one work credit for every $1,470 generated from company wages or self-employment compensation. The SSA establishes the number of work credits needed to qualify for disability benefits by referring to the age when an applicant first experienced symptoms of a disability.
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Special Rules For People Who Are Blind Or Have Low Vision
We consider you to be legally blind under Social Security rules if your vision cannot be corrected to better than 20/200 in your better eye. We will also consider you legally blind if your visual field is 20 degrees or less, even with a corrective lens. Many people who meet the legal definition of blindness still have some sight and may be able to read large print and get around without a cane or a guide dog.
If you do not meet the legal definition of blindness, you may still qualify for disability benefits. This may be the case if your vision problems alone or combined with other health problems prevent you from working.
There are several special rules for people who are blind that recognize the severe impact of blindness on a person’s ability to work. For example, the monthly earnings limit for people who are blind is generally higher than the limit that applies to non-blind workers with disabilities.
In 2022, the monthly earnings limit is $2,260.