Living with a chronic disease can be incredibly dispiriting. Symptoms that linger day after day, week after week, can create a sense of despair in even the strongest-willed individual in New Jersey. Or, for chronic illnesses that have periods of flare-up and remission, waiting for the next bout with the disease can feel much like being positioned under the Sword of Damocles. When the illness interferes with a person's ability to make a living, it adds the stress of potential financial disaster to an already untenable situation. People living with chronic disease should not despair, however. Ju ..read more

As our New Jersey readers may know, this blog has previously discussed several of the listings for mental and physical disabilities that are found in the Social Security Administration's (SSA) "blue book." We have also touched on the "sequential evaluation process" that the SSA uses to determine if a person is disabled for the purposes of applying for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI). In this post we will take a brief look at one of the differences in the process between mental and physical impairments. To refresh, the sequential evaluation proc ..read more

Significant injuries, whether sustained on the job or on one's own time, can often result in effects that limit one's ability continue to practice one's profession. This is especially true in those jobs where moving about and lifting and other physical tasks are involved. Therefore, any kind of injury to the musculoskeletal system that hampers the ability to move freely may interfere with a person's ability to earn a living. The Social Security Administration recognizes this in section 1.00 of their 'blue book.' One of the major disabilities that can be shown in an application for Social Secur ..read more

Last July, this blog reported the advancement of a bill out of committee in the New Jersey Legislature. This bill was the state's response to the passage and signing by President Obama in December 2014 of the "Achieving a Better Life Experience Act," also known as ABLE. The New Jersey bill was the state's way of implementing the requirements of the federal law. As of last week, that bill is now law in New Jersey. What does this mean for New Jersey residents who may be disabled and have the inability to work? Well, the new law requires that the state departments of treasury and human services e ..read more

We have discussed the eligibility requirements for Supplemental Security Income several times in this space. In general, SSI exists to help blind or disabled people who have very limited financial means. Usually, these individuals have not logged enough employment hours to be eligible for Social Security Disability Insurance. But once one is approved for SSI benefits, they are not guaranteed to continue forever. In fact, there are a few ways that people stop receiving SSI benefits. The Social Security Administration's Office of the Inspector General is the arm of the agency that is tasked with ..read more

One of the most important of the organs in the human body is the liver. Without its filtering capacity, a person's blood may become septic, with predictably catastrophic results. It stands to reason then, that liver ailments are among the most serious of illness with which people have to contend. Regardless of the cause, the failure of the liver to work properly can cause anyone to become disabled. The Social Security Administration therefore has several categories of liver disease in its blue book that sets out ways to make a case that one's illness is disabling. Section 5.00 D of that public ..read more

We have previously discussed several mental illnesses that might, if serious, make a person unable to function well enough to earn a living. One of those that we touched on was that of clinical depression. While many residents of New Jersey suffer from depression, there is another affective disorder that, while less common can be just as debilitating. This is what is called bi-polar disorder, also previously known in some circles as manic-depression. While there are a few recognized types of bi-polar disorder, for our purposes, it is relevant to concentrate on how the Social Security Administr ..read more

We have previously discussed the fact that many applications for Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income are rejected at first. This means that a good number of people with disabling conditions face delay and further effort to attempt to receive their benefits. We have also touched on several of the various forms of medical evidence that are generally used by the Social Security Administration to adjudicate these cases. Finally, we have talked about the appeals process, and the fact that hearings before an Administrative Law Judge tend to have somewhat higher chan ..read more

While the purpose of Social Security Disability Insurance benefits is to provide those who are unable to work due to a disabling medical condition some financial support, there are a wide variety of potentially disabling conditions with many varied effects. People in New Jersey with some conditions that are considered disabling may be able, with help, to return to work by getting additional training, services or equipment. Because it is in society's interest that people be self-sufficient when possible, the Social Security Administration has several programs to incentivize action in those who ..read more

On this blog previously, we have discussed various aspects of applying for Supplemental Security Income in New Jersey. We have touched on some of the requirements for people to qualify for SSI, such as being disabled or blind, and having limited economic means. We have also taken a look at some of the evidence that may be useful in the course of such applications. For New Jersey residents that do qualify for SSI, there may be other benefits that go along with the basic payments meted out by the Social Security Administration. For example, according to the SSA, people who qualify for benefits w ..read more