Legalese Defined: Social Security Disability– Substantial Gainful Activity

To be eligible for disability benefits a person must be unable to engage in substantial gainful activity. In Social Security Disability cases substantial gainful activity means that you are working and earning more than a certain amount of money, which is set by law and changes each year. If the Social Security Administration finds that… Read More

Legalese Defined: Social Security Disability– Date Last Insured

In social security disability cases, your “date last insured” is the date you were last eligible for social security disability benefits. Generally, In order to be eligible for social security disability you must have worked 5 of the last 10 years.  Put another way, that means that over the course of the last ten years,… Read More

Legalese Defined: Social Security Disability– Onset Date

In social security disability cases, your onset date is the date your disability began. Your onset date is important to your claim for social security disability benefits because it helps determine whether or not your claim is approved and how much  back-pay you may be entitled to.  Because you must be disabled for at least… Read More

Can I work while my Social Security Disability (SSD) application is pending?

I have no source of income during my application for Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits, and now I’m waiting to hear back from them.  How will going back to work affect my case? This is a common question from our Social Security disability (SSD) clients.  The short answer is that a return to work may… Read More

What is the Difference Between SSD and SSI?

The Social Security Administration offers two different programs for individuals who are unable to work because of a physical or mental condition:  social security disability (SSD) and supplemental security income (SSI). The key difference is that SSD relies on what you “pay into” the system from your previous employment, while SSI does not.  Instead, SSI relies upon… Read More