This information may help claimants with representation, as well as claimants who are not represented by an attorney or non attorney representative. Understanding how the Social Security Disability system works can make the difference between winning or not winning the continuing disability benefits and backpay to which a person is entitled. |
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My wife was approved for SS disability this week. We received a letter stating that Medical disability has been approved but a decision has not been made about whether she has met the non-medical requirements. The letter stated that they will make that decison soon. What does this mean about the non-medical requirements? There are two aspects to processing a disability claim: the first aspect regards the medical determination of whether or not a claimant is disabled---according to SSA rules and regulations, as well as a claimant's medical records. Medical determinations, of course, are handled by DDS examiners and by administrative law judges. The other aspect of processing a disability claim, however, has to do with file maintenance, for lack of a better phrase. When you file a claim for disability, the application is taken by a claims representative at the social security office. Claims reps do not evaluate claims for their medical eligibility, but, rather, transfer files to either DDS (where examiners are based) or the Office of hearings and appeals (where judges are based). Once a medical determination i.e. decision has been made on a case, the folder will be transferred back to an SSA office, either the social security field office where it originated, or to a payment processing center, if the case was approved. The non-medical requirements are simply that. They involve issues that have nothing to do with a claimant's medical conditions or medical eligibility. Typically, the non-medical requirements have to do with basic eligibility issues. For instance, is the claimant working and, if so, is the claimant's income below the earned income limit? Typically, a claimant will not have to be concerned with "non-medical requirements" since this phrase simply refers to the "backend" work required to get a claimant into pay status, after an approval of their claim has been made. Disability Advocates Help with Claims Free Case Evaluation |
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