It is perfectly reasonable for you to ask your representative payee how your money is being spent and how much you have in your bank account. Your representative payee is responsible for using your SSI benefits to pay for your needs including payment for food, shelter, clothes, medical care and... Read more »

Read 20 CFR 404.1520. which will give you a general overview of how Social Security evaluates disability. Social Security uses a five-step sequential evaluation process to decide whether or not a person is disabled. The "Blue Book" describes the listing level impairments at step 3. There... Read more »

Your friend can just update her address with Social Security when she moves at either the local Social Security field office or by calling the national Social Security number at 1-800-772-1213. Since Social Security is a Federal program, it will carry over when she moves to a new state. There is no... Read more »

Most eligible people have already received all three of their Economic Impact Payments. However, you may still be able to file your 2020, 2021 taxes and claim a Recovery Rebate Credit. For more information, see https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/economic-impact-payments.

According to the... Read more »

The best place to find out about the evidence requirements to obtain a Social Security number and card is at 20 CFR 422.107. See https://www.ssa.gov/OP_Home/cfr20/422/422-0107.htm. To obtain an original Social Security number card, you must submit convincing evidence of:

1. your age,... Read more »

To be eligible for SSDI disability benefits, you must meet BOTH a recent work test and a duration work test. The number of credits necessary to meet the recent work test depends on your age. In general, the rules are as follows:

Before age 24 - You may qualify if you have 6 credits earned... Read more »

There is no restriction about a beneficiary being married to the person who is their representative payee. In fact, Social Security prefers to appoint a responsible relative, friend, or other interested party to serve as a representative payee, then they consider others, such as an organization to... Read more »

No, your wife would not lose her SSDI benefits if she withdraws from her 401k retirement. Since individual retirement plans have no effect on SSDI eligibility, your wife would not have to report 401k withdrawals to Social Security. She would report things such as her new address if she moves or a... Read more »

Yes, it is usually better to hire an experienced disability attorney to help you with your SSDI claim because the administrative process can be complex. Social Security does not approve many cases at the initial level and many people have to appeal their claim. Data has shown that your chances of... Read more »

Yes, you can do a some work and still get SSDI benefits. The Social Security encourages work activity and there are special program rules and work incentives that help you try to return to work while still receiving monthly disability payments. Impairment-related work expenses, items or services... Read more »

No, you cannot be charged a pet fee or pet cleaning fee for using a service animal. You are correct that the only fee that can be charged is for any damage caused by the service animal. You cannot be asked to remove your service animal unless it is out of control or is not housebroken. A service... Read more »

I am sorry to hear about your grandson's severe injury. Loss of fingers can be quite limiting and may result in meeting the definition of disability. For adults, Social Security law defines disability as the inability to do any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically... Read more »

Yes, you can file for bankruptcy and list your Social Security overpayment as a debt. Both Chapter 7 and 13 bankruptcy have an automatic stay from recovery of any debt that arose before filing the bankruptcy petition, so Social Security will have to stop collection.... Read more »

A good place to find out our Social Security number is by checking your old documents. Look at copies of your old tax returns. The Internal Revenue Service requires you include your Social Security number when you file your tax return. You could also look on old W-2s (prior to 2020), 1099s or other... Read more »

Social Security law defines disability as the inability to do any substantial gainful activity (SGA) by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment which can be expected to result in death or which has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than... Read more »

Your child may be eligible for Child SSI benefits now if your family meets income and resource limits. Even if your child isn't currently eligible for SSI due to too much income or resources, they may become eligible for SSI at age 18.

Also, the SSDI program pays benefits to adults who... Read more »

Talk to an experienced disability attorney first. Most offer a free initial consultation and will be able to discuss the particular issues about your claim. You can then decide if you want to hire an attorney to represent you. A common arrangement is contingency fee where the attorney will get paid... Read more »

If you are a U.S. citizen, you can apply and get a Social Security number. For a foreign born U.S. citizen, Social Security will accept certain documents as proof of U.S. citizenship when you apply for a Social Security number, including:

- U.S. passport;

- Certificate of... Read more »

A dog who is a trained service animal is permitted access under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Examples of service animal work include guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling a wheelchair, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure, reminding a... Read more »

Review the notice of decision that Social Security sent you to see what evidence they considered when making the decision. If there is missing evidence, make sure you let Social Security know what evidence they do not have. In fact, make sure that you inform Social Security of all medical sources... Read more »