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In part 1 of this post, we shared information about the challenges of a disability claim based on fibromyalgia (FM), a disease-causing widespread, chronic pain, as well as severe fatigue, confusion and a wide range of other symptoms. Because of the subjectivity and variability of symptoms, slow development of the disease and difficulty of diagnosis, […]

At Slepian Smith Ellexson, PLLC, our SSI lawyers in Glendale, AZ help Arizonans with fibromyalgia prove their eligibility for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) based on the disabling impact of this impairment. Fibromyalgia (FM) has many symptoms that are subjective, so careful preparation of the application or appeal includes extensive […]

Most people who cannot work because of illness or injury struggle financially to pay their bills – including medical bills – and to keep their heads above water for themselves and for many, for their families. The disabling medical conditions, the stress and the emotional fallout are significantly challenging and rarely sustainable for the long […]

The Social Security Administration (SSA) administers the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) cash benefit programs based on recipients’ disabling medical conditions that prevent them from working. The money benefits from these programs are often crucially important to meeting the eligible recipients’ needs. When an SSDI or SSI recipient would be […]

Men and women who risked their lives to protect our country demonstrate a high level of bravery and courage. Sadly, many who come back have severe disabling conditions and have a hard time keeping employment due to their physical and psychological impairments. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 11% to 20% of soldiers […]

The Social Security Administration (SSA) follows its own regulations that require periodic review of approved SSDI and SSI claims to determine whether benefit recipients are no longer disabled because of medical improvement (MI) – and therefore no longer eligible to receive benefits. The SSA published a notice in November 2019 proposing a regulatory change that […]

The Social Security Administration, or SSA, administers the Social Security Disability Insurance benefit program. Known as SSDI, this program provides monthly cash payments to eligible disabled recipients who cannot work. Federal disability definition SSDI uses a definition of “disability” as set out in federal law. To meet this definition, an eligible claimant must have a […]

In claims for Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income, called SSDI and SSI, benefit eligibility requires that applicants have severe physical or mental medical impairments that prevent them from meaningful work. It is crucially important to have the professional opinions of physicians as evidence of disability. In SSDI and SSI cases, this kind […]

The answer is yes, but only if the administrative law judge applies the right legal standards, which are stringent. It is not uncommon for an ALJ to miss the mark and wrongly discredit a claimant’s report of their symptoms. Many applicants for Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income, commonly referred to as SSDI […]