Every year the Social Security Administration makes a “cost-of-living adjustment” or “COLA” to help Social Security and SSI recipients income remain consistent with the inflation rate.  While it’s usually not a lot of money, it’s very important and comforting to know that the amount of income you’re receiving now should keep pace with the cost-of-living.  Listen to the video to find out how much the cost-of-living raise will be.

Beginning January 1, 2025, the cost-of-living adjustment for Social Security benefits will be 2.5%.  I know that’s not a lot of money given the high inflation rate.  It is a little less than the cost-of-living adjustment for 2024.  So it’s good news but not great news.

This is the week before Thanksgiving.  A lot of people have been asking about how the presidential election will be affecting Social Security.  I will be putting out a video after Thanksgiving and I will do my best to address these concerns.  I hope you will take the time to watch it.

I do not anticipate any large changes anytime soon.  Don’t worry, be happy, and enjoy Thanksgiving!

To get more information about the 2025 cost-of-living adjustment rule click on: https://www.ssa.gov/cola.

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Because of Issues with Social Security, we are experiencing significant delays in the processing of claims.    There is a backlog of claims that have been delayed at the initial application and reconsideration levels.  Please don’t get discouraged.  We are doing all we can to help Social Security process claims more quickly.

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If you know anyone who may need Social Security disability benefits, please give them my number,

888-551-1190

forward this email to them, or click the links below that will share on Facebook, Twitter or YouTube.

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I will listen to them and help them understand Social Security Disability and if they may qualify. Remember, I never charge for consultations, and there is never a fee unless we win.

I work for you. I am your advocate! If you have concerns, please contact me.

We are “A Voice for the Disabled”

Take Care, God Bless, and Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Randy Adams, ADR
Email: [email protected]

Website: www.AdamsDisability.com

Phone: 888-551-1190

“And what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly before your God.” Micah 6:8

Mr. Martin J. O’Malley is the new commissioner of the Social Security Administration.  He is instituting a number of changes that will be helpful in providing better care of the disabled.  One of the most exciting changes is the fact that Social Security is expanding access to the SSI program by updating the definition of a public assistance household.  This will give more money to people who are applying and who are receiving SSI benefits.  Please listen to my video for more information.

Beginning in September 2024, Social Security has announced that they will be expanding the definition of a Public Assistance Household.  This will allow more people to qualify for SSI, increase some SSI recipient’s benefit amounts, and reduce reporting burdens for individuals living in public assistance households.

For example, if you are receiving SSI and you live in a household that has a spouse, relatives or friends who contribute financially to the household, your monthly SSI amount received is currently reduced, typically by 1/3.  Instead of getting the full SSI benefit of $943 a month, many only receive about $609 a month because of other resources.  With the new change, if you are receiving SSI, you may qualify for the maximum amount – $943 a month, because, in many cases, they will no longer count the income of others in the household.

I’ve included a link below that will direct you to the Social Security’s blog regarding this new, exciting benefit.

To get more information about the new rule click on:

https://www.ssa.gov/news/press/releases/2024/#5-2024-3

Because of Issues with Social Security, we are experiencing significant delays in the processing of claims.    There is a backlog of claims that have been delayed at the initial application and reconsideration levels.  Please don’t get discouraged.  We are doing all we can to help Social Security process claims more quickly.

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If you know anyone who may need Social Security disability benefits, please share this article with them and give them my number,

888-551-1190

I will listen to them and help them understand Social Security Disability and if they may qualify. Remember, I never charge for consultations, and there is never a fee unless we win.

Take care and God bless! 

Randy Adams, Accredited Disability Advocate

www.AdamsDisability.com

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“And what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly before your God.”  Micah 6:8

These changes may have significant impact especially with regard to past work in the past five years. Listen to my video below.

Beginning June 9, 2024, Social Security has announced that they will be changing how they consider a claimant’s past relevant work when adjudicating the claim. Previously, when we went to a Social Security hearing or when Social Security was evaluating the case, they would need to determine if you could return to any of your work that you had performed in the last 15 years. Now, they will only consider if you could return to work to any job that you had performed in the last five (5) years. While this may be difficult to understand, in plain English, it means that fewer people will be denied SSDI benefits just because they had an easier or lighter job that they had performed over six years ago, or before the claim was adjudicated. If your claim was denied within the last 10 years, because the decision said that you could return to work in some job that you had done in the past, please give me a call. I will take a look at your case to see if you may qualify for benefits under the new rule. I’ve included a link below that will direct you to a Social Security announcement regarding this new, exciting benefit.

https://www.ssa.gov/regulations/recentregulatory.html

Because of Issues with Social Security, we are experiencing significant delays in the processing of claims.    There is a backlog of claims that have been delayed at the initial application and reconsideration levels.  Please don’t get discouraged.  We are doing all we can to help Social Security process claims more quickly.

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If you know anyone who may need Social Security disability benefits, please share this article with them and give them my number,

888-551-1190

I will listen to them and help them understand Social Security Disability and if they may qualify. Remember, I never charge for consultations, and there is never a fee unless we win.

Take care and God bless! 

Randy Adams, Accredited Disability Advocate

www.AdamsDisability.com

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“And what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly before your God.”  Micah 6:8

To obtain and keep your Social Security disability benefits, you have to have consistent medical treatment.  It is the key to winning a Social Security case and, just as importantly, keeping your Social Security disability benefits after you are in pay status.  Listen to my video to gain more insight about how important this is.

Medical treatment records are required by Social Security to support your Social Security claim.  A Social Security judge, even if you believe you, cannot award your claim if you do not have medical records that he can support his decision.  Medical records demonstrate the severity of your condition.  Consistent medical treatment is a key factor in demonstrating the severity of a disability.  If you have a severe condition but are not going to the doctor, then Social Security will assume that it is not very severe.  If it is bad enough, you will seek treatment.

I realize that treatment is expensive and often it is hard to afford.  Efforts to get treatment through free clinics, indigent care at hospitals,  community mental health, is considered by Social Security, but medical records are still needed.   If you do not have medical records SSA will give the CE great weight and those evaluations are very brief and inaccurate.

Every time you go to the doctor you should discuss with him or the nurse that comes in prior to the doctor’s visit, the functional problems you have caused by your impairment.  Here are some examples: If you have a back injury, you may discuss the problems you have standing, walking, sitting, or lifting.  It is best to use examples from everyday life such as, “I can’t walk through a grocery store anymore because of the pain.  I must use the electric scooter.”  Or, “I can no longer go to church because sitting upright increases my back pain too much.”

If you have a mental impairment is important to talk about how it affects you.  For example talk about how often you must stay in your home and not socialize because of your depression or anxiety.  It’s important to provide examples to the doctor of how your condition affects your ability to function in everyday life.  This will go into the doctor’s notes and it will help you immensely when Social Security is reviewing your claim.

Because of Issues with Social Security, we are experiencing significant delays in the processing of claims.    There is a backlog of claims that have been delayed at the initial application and reconsideration levels.  Please don’t get discouraged.  We are doing all we can to help Social Security process claims more quickly.

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If you know anyone who may need Social Security disability benefits, please share this article with them and give them my number,

888-551-1190

I will listen to them and help them understand Social Security Disability and if they may qualify. Remember, I never charge for consultations, and there is never a fee unless we win.

Take care and God bless! 

Randy Adams, Accredited Disability Advocate

www.AdamsDisability.com

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“And what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly before your God.”  Micah 6:8

Categorized: Disability Benefits

Every week I have people calling me telling me that they should get disability because they know somebody else who is getting it and that person is less disabled than they are.  This just does not seem fair!  Check out my video below.

In order to qualify for Social Security disability or SSI benefits you have to have a physical or mental disability or combination of those that are severe and would keep you from performing any job in the national economy and has lasted or can be expected to last at least 12 consecutive months.  That’s a tough criteria to meet. 

Not all disabilities are apparent.  Someone suffering from mental illness may look and sound totally normal.  Many times people suffering from autoimmune disorders can look and do almost anything a nondisabled person can do.  Many people with disabilities such as Crohn’s disease, end-stage renal failure, cancer, COPD, may look and act normal at times.

However, they can still be found disabled if they are not able to sustain activity or meet the mental or exertional requirements of full-time work.  Many of these impairments result in excessive fatigue after short periods of exertion.  Some impairments only affect the individual for periods of time during which nobody is going to see them, such as migraine headaches.  Autoimmune disorders can flareup resulting in weeks of absenteeism.  If impairments cause an individual to be absent from work more than 3 days a month or need to take frequent breaks during the day or have to work in an accommodated position, they can still be found disabled.

Social Security reports that there is less than 1% of abuse of the system.  It is my opinion that Social Security’s evaluation of claims is too conservative and unfortunately there are people who cannot work, yet are not found disabled.

We work hard throughout the process to make sure Social Security understands the severity of your impairment and how it would keep you from performing work.  And, if you lose, we are here to help you through the appeals process.

Because of Issues with Social Security, we are experiencing significant delays in the processing of claims.    There is a backlog of claims that have been delayed at the initial application and reconsideration levels.  Please don’t get discouraged.  We are doing all we can to help Social Security process claims more quickly.

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If you know anyone who may need Social Security disability benefits, please share this article with them and give them my number,

888-551-1190

I will listen to them and help them understand Social Security Disability and if they may qualify. Remember, I never charge for consultations, and there is never a fee unless we win.

Take care and God bless! 

Randy Adams, Accredited Disability Advocate

www.AdamsDisability.com

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“And what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly before your God.”  Micah 6:8