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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I had my social security disability hearing back in May.I had to move from the state I was living in when the ALJ heard my case.In November the judge sent me for another evaluation where I live now. It was less than a physical, really. It is going on february and still no solid answer. My disability Attorney said that the ALJ sends his decision to a department where it can be looked at for errors and then they send it back to him, where he signs it and it's mailed to me.That would tell me that a decision has been made. But when I called the 1-800 number I got someone nice enough to look up the status for me, they told me it says ND or no decision. What are the chances that it says denied for ssd and they just didn't want to tell me? Also, if I was going to be denied, would the ALJ have taken so long looking at my social security case, making me wait, May till November, ordering a test, then making me wait even longer? Seems like issuing a denial would be something that would have quickly been done. You've raised a number of different issues, so I'll try to address each in the order you've mentioned them. First, regarding consultative exams, these are typically very short in duration (let me repeat---very short) and tend to be of little value other than the fact that they provide recent medical evidence. Second, regarding your attorney's statement that the "ALJ sends his decision to a department where it can be looked at for error", what he really should have said was this: the case has gone to a decision writer. ALJ's do not compose notices of decision. This is the job of an attorney or non-attorney decision writer. Third, personnel at a hearing office or a DDS (disability determinations services) office will generally not disclose a claim decision over the phone, regardless of whether the claim has been approved or denied. Fourth, how long an ALJ takes to render a decision on a case has no bearing on the potential outcome. ALJ's, as a rule of thumb, will keep a case open as long as they see fit (to allow for record gathering, consultative exams, etc) before rendering a decision and closing the file. Good luck on your case. Disability Advocates Help with Claims Free Case Evaluation |
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SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY ATTORNEY, REPRESENTATIVE LAWYER LIST ANSWERS TO YOUR SSD & SSI QUESTIONS PAGE 5 ANSWERS TO YOUR SSD & SSI QUESTIONS PAGE 6 |
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If you suffer from a medical disability such as hip, neck, shoulder, ankle, wrist, back, or other joint problems, disc herniation, degenerative disc disease, spinal stenosis, carpal tunnel syndrome, rsi or repetetive stress injury, inflammatory bowel disease, ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, arthritis, dysthymia, depression or other mood disorders, congestive or chronic heart failure, type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, diabetic neuropathy, high blood pressure (hypertension), seizure disorder, stroke, copd, emphysema, hearing loss or poor hearing, statutory blindness, peripheral field problems or other vision loss, clinical obesity, attention deficit hyperactivity or, simply, adhd, bipolar disorder or manic depression, panic disorder, schizophrenia, autism, head trauma, memory loss, low iq, mental retardation, learning disability, epilepsy, cancer, chronic fatigue, multiple sclerosis, lupus, anxiety, inner ear problems, meniere's, vertigo or dizziness, kidney failure requiring dialysis or other renal problems, cirrhosis, hepatitis, or other liver disease, pancreatitis, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, asthma, bronchitis, cystic fibrosis, rsd or reflex sympathetic dystrophy, crohn's disease, sarcoidosis, peripheral vascular disease, lyme disease, cerebral palsy, down syndrome, hiv, aids, anemia, sickle cell, thyroid problems including hypothyroidism, esrd or end stage renal disease, reflux, gerd (gastroesophageal reflux disease), cfids, muscular dystrophy, coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathy, or tachycardia, bradycardia or other arrhythmia and have initiated or been denied on a social security disability, or ssi, claim for benefits, this site may assist you with your case. Social Security Disability benefits are often difficult to win; however many claims for social security disability are lost simply because a claimant did not know enough about the disability process to their social security or ssi claim. For information re: representation on a social security disability or ssi claim (attorney or non attorney representative), see the "questions" & "how" pages. |
| Questions about Social Security Disability What if a judge denies your disability claim ? |