For many claimants, the road to Social Security disability benefits includes a pit stop at a hearing before a Social Security judge. As experienced disability attorneys who have represented thousands of Social Security claimants, our view is that this is a claimant’s best opportunity to win his or her case. At hearing, the claimant has [...]

A person seeking Social Security disability benefits is not required to be represented by an attorney. However, as the Second Circuit Court of Appeal’s ruling in Giunta v. Commissioner of Social Security makes clear, there are many reasons why a claimant may want legal counsel. Plaintiff Joseph Giunta, a Flushing, New York resident, filed a [...]

As experienced Social Security disability attorneys who have represented thousands of disability benefits claimants in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, we know all too well that sometimes the Social Security Administration (SSA), its experts and even its judges just plain get it wrong. According to Connecticut federal Magistrate Judge Thomas P. Smith, however, the [...]

The Social Security Administration (SSA) initially denies roughly 65 percent of all Social Security disability benefits claims nationwide. For those applicants who don’t give up – the most important step is a hearing before an SSA Administrative Law Judge (ALJ). The medical evidence provided to show that the claimant is fact disabled is a major [...]

In the latest showdown between the leading Republican presidential contenders, Rick Perry and Mitt Romney addressed an issue of growing concern to seniors and disabled persons across the country: Social Security. The heavyweights traded punches over competing ideas as to how the federal government’s retirement and disability benefits programs can be “reformed” during a recent [...]

As experienced Social Security lawyers practicing in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, our jobs are to focus on the nitty gritty of Social Security disability claims: the factual details and supporting evidence that can mean the difference between a successful and unsuccessful claim. We understand the intricacies of the often complex disability claims process [...]

A recent opinion from the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals in Apone v. Commissioner, Social Security Administration lays out the basic framework under which a Social Security Administration (SSA) Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) is expected to review a Social Security Disability benefits claim. While the decision provides a quick overview of the process, based on [...]

One of the many factors that the Social Security Administration (SSA) considers in reviewing a disability benefits claim is the claimant’s ability to continue working. The Third Circuit’s recent decision in Diaz v. Commissioner of Social Security provides a roadmap for how this question is often resolved, drawing on input from the claimant, his or [...]

While our elected officials in D.C. fritter away the summer days with partisan handwringing and political point scoring, the clock continues to tick on the deadline for Congress to do something about the federal debt ceiling. Without a deal, the 27 million Americans who depend on Social Security benefits could be left in financial limbo. [...]

After weeks of fumbling moves and back tracking, it appears that AARP was against Social Security benefits cuts before it was for them. Or something like that. What’s clear is that the non-profit interest group serving more than 40 million persons age 50 and over has drawn the ire of many of its constituents by [...]