As Social Security Disability lawyers, we are glad to hear you are reviewing the earnings on your Social Security Statement. These earnings can directly affect the amount of your retirement or disability benefit.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) tracks your earnings for each calendar year that you work. It is important to check these earnings every year and make sure they are correct. If earnings are missing from the current or previous year, Social Security may still be working to process those earnings and apply them to your record. Make a note of the missing information and check your statement online at a later date. Earnings could be missing from earlier years for the following reasons:
If you see an error or earnings are missing for a year that you worked and paid Social Security taxes, you should contact the SSA immediately in order to get your record corrected. You will be asked to fill out Form 7008, Request for Correction of Earnings Record. You must also provide proof of your claim such as a Form W-2, annual tax return or pay stub. If you have any questions or a special situation, you can contact your local Social Security office for assistance.
Social Security Disability benefits are a vital source of income for those who are sick or injured and unable to work. Unfortunately, Social Security benefit applications are often denied. Applicants must go through the appeals process in order to obtain the benefits they deserve. Those who hire an attorney often have a better chance of winning an appeal. Attorneys know the medical evidence required, the Social Security Disability laws and the judges who hear the cases.
If you are disabled and the SSA has denied your disability benefit application, contact a Social Security Disability attorney at (717) 888-8888 for a free case review.
We’re sorry to hear that you are living with pain. We hope that you have been able to find medical treatments that can relieve your suffering.
There are many medical conditions that can cause chronic pain, including:
Chronic pain, by itself, is not enough to make you eligible for Social Security Disability benefits in Pennsylvania.
Because pain cannot be independently verified, your application for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits will receive extra scrutiny to determine whether you truly meet the standards for disability. Even if it is obvious that you cannot perform the job you used to do, to be considered disabled you must be able to show you cannot do any job for which you have qualifications. As the applicant, it is your responsibility to provide evidence that you are unable to work.
In preparing to apply for SSDI coverage in Pennsylvania, you will want to collect records that can help you document how much your chronic pain has interfered with your activity level. Some of the evidence you might find useful will be:
Your Social Security caseworker is required to consider your experience with pain when determining how impaired you are, even though pain cannot be measured objectively. This becomes a factor in evaluating your residual functional capacity, which is Social Security’s term for your ability to work productively. If your residual functional capacity is found to be low enough, you will be classified as disabled and can begin receiving SSDI benefits.
Gathering the stamina to apply for SSDI benefits is a tough job, and it’s made even tougher when you are struggling against chronic pain. You need to understand that help is available. Our Social Security lawyers in Harrisburg can work with you at every stage of the process of obtaining disability benefits, from the initial application through the whole appeals process.
To get started, call Schmidt Kramer at 717-888-8888 locally or (717) 888-8888 toll-free. We will set up a confidential meeting to review your case—a meeting that is entirely FREE. If you hire us, we will not charge you a penny for legal fees until we win your case. That’s your assurance that we will work tirelessly and aggressively to obtain all the disability benefits you deserve.
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Yes, we can help you.
As you may be aware, the Social Security Administration performs a periodic review of every case to make sure the public’s money is being spent wisely. This is called a Continuing Disability Review (CDR). Your case will come under review about every three to seven years while you are receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits. These reviews will stop after you reach retirement age because, at that point, your SSDI benefits convert to regular Social Security retirement benefits.
If you show a significant medical improvement when your case is reexamined, you may no longer meet the Social Security Administration’s definition for being disabled, and your SSDI benefits will stop.
There is no need to panic, however. At least three implications from this work to your benefit:
If your Continuing Disability Review is on track to end your benefits prematurely, we may be able to assist you. Our Harrisburg Social Security attorneys have a long and exemplary history in securing favorable results for clients who are facing termination of their SSDI benefits. We can make a strong presentation to your CDR caseworker to keep you eligible for benefits, or we can file a robust appeal from a decision to cut off your disability pay.
Don’t settle for a Pennsylvania disability law firm that treats you as a case file number instead of a living person. Schmidt Kramer has a sterling record for providing individualized help for its clients. Call us today at 717-888-8888 or (717) 888-8888 toll-free to learn how we can make your benefits lifeline remain in place.
Early onset Alzheimer’s disease is a degenerative disorder that causes nerve cells in our brain to break their connections with other cells and die. This disrupts the way signals containing our thoughts, feelings, and memories travels through the brain and causes the loss of intellectual ability, also known as dementia.
While most people are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease after the age of 65, about five percent of those diagnosed with the disease develop symptoms before the age of 65, often in their 40s and 50s. This is known as early onset Alzheimer’s disease.
There are many disorders that can cause memory problems and some, such as those caused by a vitamin deficiency or thyroid disorder, can be successfully treated and reversed. Other types of memory problems, such as Alzheimer’s disease, are not reversible at this time.
There is no definitive test for Alzheimer’s disease, but doctors can diagnose it with 90 percent certainty. To come up with a diagnosis of probable Alzheimer’s disease, they take a thorough medical history, run a brain scan and laboratory tests, and conduct neurological tests to assess memory, problem solving abilities, language skills, and ability to concentrate.
Although a diagnosis of early onset Alzheimer’s disease is devastating, proper diagnosis is critical so that patients can begin treatment to manage their symptoms and make plans for the future. If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s disease, the Social Security Administration will expedite your application as part of the Compassionate Allowance (CAL) initiative.
If your Social Security disability benefit application has been denied, contact a skilled Social Security Disability lawyer at Schmidt Kramer for help with your appeal. We regularly help clients just like you to obtain the benefits you are due. The number is (717) 888-8888, and the case consultation is free.
We’re sorry to hear about your illness.
Your case—even more than many others—will depend on the exact circumstances of your medical and financial conditions. We can’t give you a definite answer here, but we will be able to outline the key issues that will influence your decision whether to apply for SSDI based on a prostate cancer diagnosis.
The prostate gland is part of a man’s reproductive system, located under the bladder. Prostate cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer for men; nobody knows why. The rates of prostate cancer increase as men get older. Aggressive and invasive forms of this cancer are relatively rare. In most cases, the cancer grows very slowly and remains confined to the prostate gland.
Older men with slow-growing prostate cancer are much more likely to die from other causes than from the cancer. Because the standard forms of treatment can have a significant impact on the quality of life for men—impotence and bladder control problems are frequent complications—many patients prefer to delay treatment as long as possible. Other patients fear that a “wait and see” approach will leave them vulnerable if the cancer becomes aggressive, and they prefer immediate surgery.
You are taking a responsible course in discussing this matter with your oncologist. Also consider talking it over with your family doctor and perhaps another physician who often treats prostate cancer patients.
You can only get Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits with a prostate cancer diagnosis if you are unable to work. This requires submitting extensive medical records to the Social Security Administration to document the course of your disease and treatment. Most people who apply for SSDI have their initial applications rejected.
Based on the information you have provided so far, we believe you would be rejected for SSDI benefits. You are considering returning to work, which suggests that you feel well enough to carry on with your job. To be eligible for SSDI, you must not be able to work productively at any job for which you are qualified.
Then there’s the matter of your age. You are currently 62. Your normal retirement age under Social Security rules would be 66, but at 62 you are eligible for early retirement benefits. In normal circumstances, you cannot collect Social Security disability benefits if you are also eligible for retirement benefits.
Early retirement benefits may not suit your best interests in planning your financial future. Your monthly retirement income is significant reduced if you opt for Social Security benefits before the normal retirement age; the closer you get to age 66 before retiring, the smaller the penalty. Depending on your health and comfort level, continuing to work at your job for as long as possible may be better.
Of course, we’re just working off the brief description of your situation as far as we know it. We can fine-tune our recommendations about SSDI benefits for your prostate cancer if you call us for a FREE consultation. Contact Schmidt Kramer at (717) 888-8888 toll-free to schedule a confidential case review with one of our experienced and compassionate lawyers.
Your unique circumstances may make you a good candidate for a Social Security disability claim. There is no charge for our consultation and we will never charge you legal fees unless we get a recovery for your case.
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You and your family attend the Art and Craft Festival every year at Long’s Park. You love how downtown Lancaster is turned into an art gallery and you are able to walk around and admire the work of local and national artists, alike. This year’s trip, however—had a tragic end.
As you made your way onto the Harrisburg Pike, a drunk driver hit your vehicle, causing your car to rollover a few times. Fortunately, everyone in your vehicle had their seat belts on, but that didn’t stop your leg from being pinned.
After you were taken to the hospital, the doctors determined the best course of action was the amputation of your severely mangled leg. Now you are left unable to work and wonder if you are eligible to claim presumptive disability.
If you need help filing a presumptive disability claim or have been denied, contact the law offices of Schmidt Kramer. A Harrisburg, PA SSD lawyer from our firm may be able to help you receive the benefits you deserve. We also invite you to click on our testimonials tab to read reviews from some of our valued clients!
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Because of the devastating injury you experienced a few years ago, you are unable to walk, and the physical pain you feel is usually unbearable. You tried to go back to work, but doing so was impossible because you couldn’t concentrate due to the pain, and the painkillers you have to take make you drowsy. You believe you are disabled and want to file for Social Security, but you’ve heard that many people are denied. Knowing what the definition of “disability” is may help you understand how the process works and give you an understanding if you may be eligible to receive the benefits or not.
The Social Security Administration does not pay for partial disability or short-term disability. The Administration assumes that working families have access to other resources that can offer assistance during periods of short-term disability—such as insurance, savings, workers’ compensation, and investments. For this reason, the Social Security Administration only pays to those who qualify for total disability.
If you are counting on Social Security to provide you with financial assistance, you can feel devastated if you are denied. The SSD lawyers of Schmidt Kramer have helped many people in similar situations as you qualify for Social Security even after they were turned away.
Contact us today to talk to an attorney about your situation and find out what we may be able to do for you.
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The Social Security Administration follows a set of requirements when deciding who is eligible to receive Harrisburg Social Security disability because of seizures. Typically, those who suffer from convulsive or non-convulsive epilepsy are considered to receive the help, so long as they also meet a few other items. However, you may be able to qualify under different guidelines, known as Medical-Vocational Guidelines.
You suffer from seizures, but they aren’t considered to be convulsive or non-convulsive. Instead, you may have a grand mal seizure every other month. You may be able to receive the assistance if you fall under the Medical-Vocational Guidelines, which means that the symptoms of your epilepsy interfere with your daily activities to the extent that no jobs are available that you could consistently perform.
When deciding if you meet the eligibility requirements for disability benefits, the claims examiner will take a variety of different factors into consideration. For instance, along with analyzing your medical condition and symptoms, he will also take into account your age, your level of education, your transferable work skills, any other conditions that may affect your ability to work, and any restrictions your doctor has given you.
Sometimes Social Security decisions are not fair. If you have been denied, have questions or need help, contact a Harrisburg Social Security disability lawyer from Schmidt Kramer. We have helped many people in situations like yours get the assistance they need.
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No.
Let’s first look at the matter of “bankruptcy.” The Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program gets its funding from a payroll tax on every working American. Part of the tax money comes from the worker—you can see how it’s been deducted from each of your paychecks—and part comes from the employer. Your employer sends the tax money to the U.S. Treasury, usually making a payment every three months.
Many people believe that this money is locked away somewhere in a “trust fund” for Social Security recipients. It’s not. Government accountants keep track of how much money comes in, of course, and how much is allocated to various categories of benefits: disability, old age, and survivors. But the actual money is just mingled with other government revenue.
The amount of tax collected depends, of course, on how the labor market is performing. In broad terms, over the last several decades the number of people working has increased, and that’s boosted revenue collection. On the other hand, wages have been stagnant (when adjusted for inflation), and that means income-based taxes don’t always keep pace with the demand for government services. The recession of 2007 to 2009 sharply hurt employment rates, and that means Social Security collections sank too.
But even before the Great Recession, payments to SSDI beneficiaries had been outpacing the revenue coming in for several years. This has been due to increased demand for disability income. Compared with every earlier generation, people are now living longer lives—but the downside of a long life is a greater chance of a serious disability. More people want to draw benefits from an account that has been collecting less money, so there’s no wonder that projections say SSDI will run out of money by 2016.
No, you don’t have to worry about SSDI running out of money. As we explained earlier, the “trust fund” for SSDI is just a bookkeeping entry. Monthly benefits are paid out of general federal revenues, the same as Social Security Old Age and Survivors’ benefits. Even if that account shows a negative value in 2016, the federal government will still honor its obligation to pay the disabled what they are owed.
In the past, Congress has acted several times to redirect the flow of money between Social Security’s disability benefits and the retirement benefits programs. The last time such an adjustment was made—in 1994—actuaries said that the correction should solve problems until around 2016. Now, right on time, Social Security is ready for another adjustment.
So if bankruptcy isn’t the cause, why was your application denied? We can’t answer that question without looking at your paperwork. But you’re in good company: less than a third of SSDI applications are approved the first time around. As Social Security benefits lawyers, we’ve seen incomplete applications, illegible applications, failure to document work history or the nature of the disability, and all sorts of errors.
When you decide you need help—either in resubmitting an original application or appealing a decision against you—we’re here. Schmidt Kramer serves Harrisburg and Camp Hill, and other nearby communities in central Pennsylvania including Carlisle, York, Lancaster, and Lebanon.
Call us at 717-888-8888 or (717) 888-8888 toll-free to schedule a FREE review of your case. We cannot promise a successful outcome to your case; we can promise to put our years of experience to work for you.
For the last 30 years we have been fighting against the threat of AIDS.
When the disease emerged in the mid-1980s, some doomsayers predicted a mass epidemic that would devastate the human race. Some experts ventured that medical science would develop a cure shortly. Neither forecast was accurate. For three decades, we have waging a battle to limit the ravages caused by HIV infection, but there are no signs that a final victory is at hand.
We’re very sorry to hear that retroviral drug therapy—typically the favored treatment option—isn’t working for you. We hope you have better luck with other therapeutic options. But we’re not doctors, we’re lawyers, and we’re better positioned to talk about the law behind federal disability benefits.
As you know, the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program was established to provide workers with a source of income when they are too disabled to function at their jobs. However, the Social Security Administration is a little quirky when it comes to defining what counts as a disability. The standard reference is called the Blue Book, a collection of listings for various ailments. If the medical evidence submitted along with an SSDI application shows that a person meets the standards of the Blue Book listing, the applicant will be notified that he is considered disabled. If his application also meets other rules on income and work experience, he will be accepted for SSDI benefits.
Being HIV positive or being a person with AIDS is not, in itself, a qualifying condition for SSDI benefits.
Before you explode in outrage, consider this: having AIDS means that your immune system has been turned off. It doesn’t necessarily mean you have faced any medical consequences from your viral infection. So it’s not reasonable to say that HIV or AIDS alone is enough to merit a disability listing.
In practical terms, of course, being a person with AIDS means you are vulnerable to a wide range of infections, exotic cancers, blindness, wasting syndrome, and other unique life-threatening risks. The Blue Book listing for AIDS reflects the complexity of HIV-related cases: although being HIV positive alone isn’t qualifying condition, a positive status along with any of dozens of complications will qualify you for SSDI benefits.
Some of the complications from AIDS are themselves so severe that you can get priority handling of your application through the Compassionate Allowances program. You don’t have to file extra paperwork to get Compassionate Allowances consideration, and if you’re approved you don’t get any extra money. What you do get is top priority in getting an answer about whether you qualify for benefits—and that can be very important when you are facing a life-threatening ailment.
Social Security Disability Insurance is a thorny puzzle of difficult and confusing rules. Making sure you provide the right evidence to show your medical condition entitles you to benefits is just one part of the job. Unfortunately, many SSDI applicants are simply in no shape to do a great job of convincing Social Security caseworkers to approve their benefits. The majority of applicants are told NO the first time they apply.
The good news is that SSDI applicants are allowed to choose an advocate to handle their cases—and that’s a job we have handled to the satisfaction of hundreds of people in Carlisle, Lebanon, Hershey, Mechanicsburg, and other central Pennsylvania communities. If you need a helping hand for getting your government disability benefits, call and speak to a Lancaster Social Security Disability lawyer from our law firm at (717) 888-8888 toll-free. Our disability attorneys will be glad to share our recent success stories and answer your questions during your FREE and confidential case review. As always, we stand behind this promise: we will send you no bill for legal services unless we are able to get a financial recovery for your claim.
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