New Changes in Social Security Disability Determination

According to the Wall Street Journal, six changes will soon be implemented by the Social Security Administration in their determination of what qualifies an individual for disability benefits. In this post, we’ll help you understand those and what they mean for you.

  • Their listings are changing. One of the primary considerations in a Social Security Disability claim is whether the applicant can perform any job duty in his or her local area. But the decision makers who determine this have been using a resource that hasn’t been updated since 1991 and doesn’t take into account the new jobs available with the changes in 21st century technology.  This “dictionary” of sorts is slated to be rewritten, but it probably will not be completed until at least 2016.
  • “The Grid” will be re-evaluated. This refers to the algorithm of factors administrative law judges use to determine whether or not to award benefits in a case, based on things like age, education and medical evidence. Again, changes in technology (i.e. higher availability of sedentary jobs) and medical research will be taken into consideration to make “the grid” more modernized and reflective of today.
  • New laws will affect evidence presented in disability claims. According to the article in the Wall Street Journal, the SSA will soon change their legislation to dictate what information can be withheld in a disability claim and what is required to be presented. The exact conditions of this legislation are still unknown at this time.
  • SSA judges’ caseloads will be regulated. Due to some administrative law judges receiving a high volume of cases, the SSA will reportedly lower the required caseload so judges can give each claim the attention it deserves. This is good news, especially for individuals with particularly complex situations.
  • A task force will be developed to prevent fraud. The SSA plans to form a task force to help identify fraudulent evidence in the Social Security Disability system. This will prevent individuals from “cheating the system”.
  • The job description for SSA judges will change. In the job description for an SSA judge, it will be clearly defined that he or she is required to have several forms of accountability. This will change the requirements for supervision, reporting and possibly additional training if any suspicious activity is observed.

With these stricter changes in effect, it’s more important than ever to have experienced legal representation on your side. The expert West Virginia Social Security Disability lawyers of Jan Dils, Attorneys at Law, can help you get the benefits you deserve.

Contact us toll-free at 1.877.526.3457 or by e-mail to schedule your free initial consultation today.

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Jan Dils, Attorneys at Law

Jan Dils, Attorneys at Law
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