The answer is maybe. Some people who use marijuana or other drugs will be eligible for Social Security disability and others will not be eligible.
Generally, if it is an addiction to marijuana that makes you unable to work, you will not be eligible for Social Security disability benefits. Similarly, if your health issues are caused by or made worse by your past or current use of marijuana, you will not be eligible for Social Security disability benefits.
However, if your marijuana use did not cause or worsen your medical condition, it might be irrelevant to your Social Security disability application and you may be eligible for Social Security disability payments.
If you use pot, it is important to know two things before you file a Social Security disability eligibility application.
First, it is important to be truthful on your application. Do not attempt to cover up your drug use. Your medical records, or other evidence, will reveal the use anyway so it is important to be honest and upfront.
Second, it is important to know that marijuana is still considered an illegal substance by the federal government and that Social Security disability is a federal program. Accordingly, marijuana may still be seen in a negative light.
For these reasons, it is important to make sure your rights are protected by working with an experienced Social Security disability lawyer who can make sure your application is complete, that it is truthful, and that it answers all of the potential questions that might come up about your marijuana use.
Yes, if you have worked long enough to qualify for Social Security disability benefits and you are currently receiving inpatient or at-home hospice care, you may be eligible for Social Security disability benefits.
Since you are receiving hospice care, you are receiving palliative care for your pain management and comfort, but you are no longer receiving treatment for your terminal illness. Additionally, hospice has determined that your condition is likely to result in death within the next six months. Thus, you may not only qualify for Social Security disability benefits, but you may also qualify for a quick review of your application pursuant to the Social Security Administration’s Terminal Illness Program (TERI).
You likely are too ill to work and to earn an income while you are receiving hospice care. However, your daily living expenses may have increased as you need more care due to your illness. Social Security disability can help you by replacing a portion of your income during this difficult time and reducing your need to rely on others.
Dealing with bureaucratic paperwork is probably very low on the list of things you want to deal with right now. However, applying for this government benefit—which you’ve earned through your years of paying into the Social Security system—does not have to be a burden. Instead, you have the right to have an experienced Texas Social Security disability lawyer help you get the benefits for which you qualify. To learn more, please call us today.
Yes, many people with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease are eligible for Social Security disability benefits. Early-onset Alzheimer’s disease typically occurs in people who are in their 40s or 50s and who are not yet eligible for Social Security retirement benefits.
Applications for Social Security disability based on early-onset Alzheimer’s disease may be evaluated pursuant to Section 12.02 in the Listing of Impairments. According to that listing, an applicant may be eligible for Social Security disability if the applicant:
AND
Alternatively, a person with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease may qualify for Social Security disability benefits if there is a medically-documented history of a chronic organic mental disorder for at least two years that has resulted in more than a minimal limitation of the ability to do basic work activities and one of the following:
Additionally, an applicant may claim that her condition is equal in severity to another listing in the Listing of Impairments or that she otherwise qualifies for Social Security disability because of her disease.
Early-onset Alzheimer’s disease is included in the Social Security Administration’s Compassionate Allowance Initiative. That means that people with an early-onset Alzheimer’s diagnosis may have their applications expedited. In order to take advantage of this fast track option, it is important to be specific about the diagnosis on the application and to tell the person handling the application that the Compassionate Allowance Initiative applies.
People with early-onset Alzheimer’s may need help for many years to come and Social Security disability may be an important part of that help until the individual reaches retirement age. To learn more about the benefits of Social Security disability, please read our FREE book, Social Security Disability: What You Need to Know, today.
In most cases, people with sciatica do not qualify for Social Security disability unless they also have another health condition.
Pain from sciatica—or a problem with the sciatic nerve—can be debilitating. It can leave you unable to work and unable to go about your regular activities. For a period of time, and again at recurring times, you may even be disabled.
However, with treatments such as medications, physical therapy, and surgery, most cases of sciatica are resolved. Thus, the disability caused by sciatica is not permanent nor is it fatal. A permanent disability, or a disability that is likely to result in death, is part of the Social Security disability eligibility requirement. Therefore, most people with this painful condition will not qualify for Social Security disability even if they are unable to work for a period of weeks or months.
While sciatica is treatable for many people, there are some people who do not recover from sciatica pain. Instead, they suffer permanent problems such as loss of movement or incontinence because of nerve damage. For those who are unable to work because of a permanent disability, Social Security disability may be a viable option.
If you believe that you should qualify for Social Security disability based on your sciatica pain or a related complication, it is important to talk to an experienced Social Security disability lawyer before making a claim. Your lawyer can review your rights with you and make sure that your application is as strong and accurate as possible so that you can get the benefits you deserve. To learn more, please start a free live chat with us now.
As the term implies, “activities of daily living” are the things that you do every day. The Social Security Administration (SSA) is interested in everything you do in a typical day, everything you did in a typical day before getting hurt or sick, and everything you can no longer do because of your injury or illness.
The definition of activities of daily living described above is general. More specifically, the SSA is interested in whether you can do the following things independently:
You will be asked to complete an activities of daily living form with specific questions that will help the SSA understand how your injury or illness impacts your daily life. It may seem like this is an easy form to fill out, but it is important that you fill out the form completely. Typically, every pain, every bit of inconvenience, and every hardship should be noted for each activity.
You do not have to fill out this form on your own. Instead, you have the right to work with an experienced Social Security disability attorney to make sure you fill it out correctly and so that you understand the impact of your answers on your Social Security disability claim. To learn more, please fill out our online contact form today and one of our Texas Social Security disability lawyers will contact you directly.
No. Your eligibility for Social Security disability benefits is totally independent of whether you were hurt on the job. It is Texas workers’ compensation benefits—not Social Security disability benefits—that are related to whether or not you were hurt at work.
In order to be eligible for Social Security disability, your injury or illness must result in a permanent disability that is expected to last for 12 months or more or to result in death and leave you unable to work. In most cases, how you became injured or sick is irrelevant.
It does not matter whether your injury or illness occurred on the job or because of your job duties, but what you’ve paid into the Social Security system is relevant to your eligibility. In order to be eligible for Social Security disability, you must have earned enough work credits to qualify for benefits. You can earn up to four work credits a year, but you may earn less depending on your income.
Currently, you will have earned enough work credits to qualify for Social Security disability if:
Some exceptions and special rules, however, may apply. Thus, whether or not you were hurt on the job you should find out more about the Social Security disability rules and about how to protect your rights. Please start a live chat with us now to learn more.
No. Social Security disability is a legal determination, not a medical or psychological determination. Thus, while you play an important role in helping your client who is disabled, your determination alone will not guarantee that your client is eligible for Social Security disability benefits.
You may be able to determine that your client is unable to work because of a mental condition. However, in order to qualify for Social Security disability, the office of Disability Determination Services (DDS) is going to have to find that your client:
DDS will consider your client’s medical records, including any records that you have, and other things such as your client’s past work experience, age, and education.
It can be frustrating to know that your client is permanently disabled and still has to go through the Social Security disability application process. However, it is inevitable and there are things you can do to make the process easier for your client. Specifically, you can encourage your client to work with an experienced Texas Social Security disability lawyer, you can provide requested documentation, and you can provide important support for your client during this difficult time.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) has a clear policy on this. It is the responsibility of Disability Determination Services (DDS) to provide a free and qualified interpreter for your friend.
The SSA defines a qualified interpreter as someone who:
An applicant may choose to provide his own interpreter so long as the above requirements are met.
Either DDS staff or the applicant may request an interpreter. The SSA recognizes that interpreters are important to both the SSA and the applicant in the Social Security disability process so that an accurate and fair determination can be made. Thus, an applicant should not hesitate to seek an interpreter when necessary and should not fail to file an application if he doesn’t have an interpreter identified.
If your friend speaks Spanish, please invite him to read the Spanish version of our website. Otherwise, please inform your friend of his rights, encourage him to request an interpreter, and invite him to contact us for further information.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) doesn’t care how you got hurt—as long as you were not the one committing the crime. You may not qualify for Social Security disability if you were hurt while committing a crime, but you may be able to qualify if you were hurt while someone else was committing crime.
In order to qualify for Social Security disability, you are going to have to prove that your disability is permanent and that you can’t work because of it. These kind of injuries may occur in a criminal attack if you are left with a:
If you are unable to work or if your condition is likely to result in death, if you have paid enough into the Social Security system, and if you are not yet of retirement age, the SSA may find you eligible for Social Security disability even if a criminal caused your injury.
Social Security disability benefits may help you make ends meet if you cannot work and may be received even if the state of Texas pursues a criminal case against the person who left you hurt or you pursue a civil case for personal injury damages.
To learn more about Social Security disability benefits and how they may help you after you become disabled in a criminal attack, please read our FREE book, Social Security Disability What You Need to Know, and please start a live chat with us today.
Professional relations officers are part of the Social Security disability program. In Texas, professional relations officers are available through the Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services Disability Determination Services (DDS) in Austin.
It is the job of a Social Security disability professional relations officer to:
Thus, it is the responsibility of the professional relations officers to support the medical community and not necessarily an individual Social Security disability applicant.
You can contact the Texas DDS directly at 800-252-9627 if you would like to get in touch with a professional relations officer.
If you think an individual Social Security disability applicant or recipient needs help, however, a professional relations officer may not be the right call for you to make. Instead, that individual may benefit from the assistance of an experienced Texas Social Security disability attorney. Please share our website with that individual or encourage that person to contact us directly at (214) 373-3761 for more information.
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