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  Social Security benefits will increase by 2.5 percent or an average of about $48 per month in 2025.   The Social Security Administration announced the COLA increase on October 10, 2024 which will take effect in January, 2025. The Part B Medicare premium (the part you pay for Medicare) also increased from $174.20 for most beneficiaries to $185 per month. I find it interesting that the government increased the Medicare premium 5.9 percent for 2025 but only gave recipients a 2.5 percent increase in benefits. If you or someone you love needs Social Security disability (SSDI) benefits, contact Charles W. Forsythe at the Forsythe Firm in Huntsville, AL.  I have helped thousands of claimants get approved in the "dumpster fire" process known as Social Security disability.   We charge no fee for consultations or case evaluations.  You will never pay us a fee until after you are approved and received your lump sum past due benefits. Our fees are controlled by the S...

    SIGNS YOU MAY HAVE WON YOUR DISABILITY HEARING If your Social Security disability claim was denied, you will usually appear before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) for a personal hearing.  At the hearing, the judge will listen to you and your attorney, ask many questions, and hear from witnesses.    Often the judge will not announce his/her decision on the spot. But there are certain signs that may tell you that you have won your hearing. Here are some of the positive signs that you may have won: 1.     The judge tells your lawyer, "I think this is a grid rule case under 201.06, etc.; do you agree?" 2.  The vocational witness testifies that there is no past work and no other work that you are capable of doing. 3.  A medical expert testifies that you "meet or equal" a Listing. 4.  The judge listens to your testimony and says something like:  "I don't believe I have any questions and I don't need any testimony from the...

Over the past 20 years the Forsythe Firm has recovered millions of dollars in Social Security disability benefits.  There are two "secrets," which are not secrets at all:  Don't give up, and Get some help. Don't Give Up:  70 percent of all disability claims in Alabama will be denied. It usually requires 2 appeals after the denial.  To sum it up, most claimants will go before a judge for an informal hearing before their case is approved. Get Some Help.  Once you get denied, everything changes.  The appeal process is highly complicated and confusing.  It now becomes a matter of proving that you meet the various rules and regulations of the Social Security Administration (SSA).  These rules consist of parts 400-499 of the 20 Code of Federal Regulations, plus various SSR rules and amendments.  No one expects you to navigate this maze by yourself.   The law provides the right to have an attorney or advocate help you through this difficult pro...

  In a few days the Social Security Administration (SSA) is set to announce the largest benefit increase in 40 years.  It's the 2022 COLA or Cost of Living Adjustment, which increases Social Security benefits to keep up with inflation. The announcement will come in October and take effect with January 2023 benefit payments.  Based on the Consumer Price Index, the increase is expected to range between 8.3 and 9.3 percent. That would be the biggest raise since 1982. What must you do to get this benefit increase?  Nothing.  The government will automatically increase Social Security benefits.  You will not need to verify your income, financial resources, or any of that stuff.   As long as you are currently entitled to a Social Security benefit, the COLA will take effect automatically starting in January 2023.

  Legal aid is available to you on a contingency basis.  This means that you pay nothing now and a fee will be charged only if your case is successful.  If not, you will pay nothing. The Forsythe Firm in Huntsville exclusively handles Social Security Disability (SSDI) cases and nothing else.  We have handled thousands of cases and have a solid track record of success.  You will never pay us a fee unless you win your disability case or appeal AND collect past due benefits.  And we'll put that in writing. This "contingency fee" arrangement allows you to get top notch representation for your Social Security claim with the certainty that any fee you pay will be based on a positive result that puts money in your pocket! WHY DO YOU NEED SOCIAL SECURITY REPRESENTATION? 1.  Social Security laws and regulations are complex, technical and often confusing.  Our experienced advocates understand all the rules and are trained to handle them. 2.  Social Sec...

  Social Security disability may replace some income for adults who become disabled due to a physical or mental impairment.  It may also pay benefits to dependent children who are under 18 years old--or up to age 19 if they are still in high school. Dependent children are usually eligible to receive a benefit in addition to their parent who has become disabled.   Disability has an impact on the entire family.  Children continue to need food, clothing, education and medical/dental care.  Dependent's benefits from Social Security can help cover these expenses for a disabled parent. If your disability claim is being handled by a professional--an advocate or attorney--he/she will be sure to protect your children's rights to benefits.  If you are handling your own claim, be sure to notify Social Security that you have dependent children when you apply for benefits.  When benefits are approved, contact your local Social Security field office (not the he...

Most claims for Social Security disability will wind up before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) for a hearing.  The judge will ask questions involving the following broad areas: Why you believe you are not able to work. Your past work history (in some detail). Your current living and family situation.   Your limitations in activities of daily living.  Here are a few general rules I ask my clients to follow during questioning: 1.  Tell the truth.  Nothing causes more problems than lying. 2.  Don't exaggerate, and don't minimize.    3.  Don't volunteer information you are aren't asked about.  Just answer the question, and STOP. 4.  Never answer a question you don't understand.  Ask for clarification. 5.  Use terms that are well defined or mean the same thing to everyone.  Avoid vague terms like:  sometimes, now and then, not much, a whole lot, not very often, etc.  Better to use terms such as:  about twi...

  The US Government offers benefits to disabled workers through the US Social Security Administration.  This is often called SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance).  But qualifying for the benefit isn't easy.  In fact, it is often very difficult.  There are several reasons for the difficulty: 1.  The program was designed to be long and difficult .  The framers of SSDI didn't want "everyone" to be able to get benefits.  So, they made it hard on purpose. They calculated that there should be at least 14 workers paying FICA (Social Security tax) for each beneficiary receiving benefits.  So, 14 workers supported each beneficiary by paying FICA  tax (payroll deductions) into the trust fund. This worked well for a long time. But over the decades fewer workers supported more and more beneficiaries. Today there are only 2.7 workers supporting each SSDI beneficiary.  As the trust fund dwindles, Social Security finds new way to make new ...

You think you know how Social Security disability (SSDI) works.  You've read about it on the internet, talked to some friends, and done your research.  But after you file your application, most of what you believe about Social Security will turn out to be wrong. Hundreds of claimants walk into my office each year absolutely convinced that they qualify for Social Security disability benefits.  A percentage of them will qualify; however, a lot of them will not. Here I want to give you several things that people think about Social Security, which are absolutely wrong: I have coverage under the Social Security Act.  TRUTH:  You only have disability coverage if you have worked at least 5 years out of the past 10 years and earned at least 20 work credits out of a possible 40 credits.  Otherwise, most individuals will not be covered by the Act.  They may be disabled but still won't qualify for any benefits.  (Work credits are more forgiving for persons u...

If you have worked at least 5 of the past 10 years, you are probably covered by Social Security disability--a US government program to help totally disabled persons who can no longer work. While you are technically "covered" by Social Security based on paying into the system for years, being approved for benefits is difficult and time consuming. The difficulty is proving that you are "disabled according to our rules."  It's Social Security's rules at are tough to get past. For claimants under the age of 50, here's their definition of disability:  You have a severe medical or mental impairment that prevents you from working any full-time job which exists the US economy . (Not local economy, the US economy). The hard part is the word "any."  You can't do ANY job.  That includes unskilled sedentary jobs that require no training or education (maybe not even the ability to read or write).  It includes very low-paying jobs where you can work sit...

Grid Rules help claimants age 50 and over get approved for Social Security disability (SSDI) benefits. The grids take into consideration the claimant's age , e ducation , past work experience and residual functional capacity (RFC). By combining all these factors in the chart or "grid," Social Security determines if an older individual meets their rules for disability benefits. Grids work especially well when the claimant is age 55 or over ("advanced age"), has no sedentary or skilled work within 15 years, and is restricted to either sedentary or light exertion levels.  After your attorney is able to get past steps 1 through 3 of the sequential decision making process, a grid rule will often indicate "disability/award" at Step 4.  Here are the steps I'm talking about: 1.  Is the claimant now working at substantial gainful activity?  (Translation:  Is the claimant now working and earning wages of at least $1,350 per month)?  If no, continue to Step...

  If you are filing a Social Security disability claim (SSDI), your past work history is really important, especially if you are age 50 plus. Most older claimants have their case decided at "Step 4" in the sequential process.  The Step 4 question is:  Can this claimant perform any of his/her past relevant work?  If not, a finding of disabled is warranted by the rules. So, what is past relevant work or PRW ?  It is the work a claimant has performed on a full-time basis during the preceding 15 year period. To determine whether an individual can still perform any PRW, a vocational expert must understand the nature of all the past jobs a claimant has performed.  Three facts are of vital importance when each past job is considered: 1.  Was the work skilled, semi-skilled or unskilled? 2.  What was the maximum lifting/carrying required on each job? 3.  Out of an 8-hour day, how much did the claimant sit/stand/walk on each job? SEDENTARY WORK - woul...

  In October (2022) the US Social Security Administration (SSA) is expected to announce a large Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for persons receiving Social Security checks. While the formal announcement won't be made until October, we are estimating a benefit increase of around 8 percent.  This will be one of the largest increases in the last 30 years. Social Security uses the Consumer Price Index to measure inflation and adjust benefit amounts for the coming year.  In 2022, the Consumer Price Index has inflation running at around 8 percent.  Thus, an individual who receives $1,500 a month in 2022 may see a check of about $1,625 in 2023. You won't need to do anything to receive this increase.  Everyone receiving Social Security benefits will get the increase starting in January, 2023. ___________ The Forsythe Firm:  Social Security Disability Advocates, Huntsville, AL.  Ph (256) 799-0297.  Call us if you need help getting approved for Social Sec...

    "The only obvious result of a disability claim is Denial."   Most of the individuals who come to me for disability benefit assistance have a very clear view of their disability. They have lived with their medical impairment for a long time and they understand it. It is very obvious to them that they are not able to work and that they qualify for disability benefits. However, Social Security will see the claim very differently. If I could choose one word to describe Social Security's attitude, it would be SKEPTICAL. Nothing is obvious to decision makers at Social Security. Everything must be investigated, questioned, documented, and proven or refuted. The claimant makes allegations. Evidence is required before these allegations become fact. Here are some major differences between the way Social Security sees a clam, vs. the way a claimant sees the claim: You start the process as a "non-disabled" person. Just like an accused criminal enters his trial ...

  Ultimately, Social Security disability cases are difficult because of the rules and regulations that govern them.  There are literally thousands of pages of laws that must be followed to win a claim.  Many claimants think it will boil down to going before a judge and telling their story.  It will not.  It will come down to whether you have enough legal evidence to win your case in court. At a minimum, here is what you must prove with objective evidence to get paid: 1.  The onset date of your impairment(s). 2.  The severity and duration of your impairment(s). 3.  Functional restrictions caused by all your symptoms. 4.  What is the maximum function you are able to perform under the medical evidence guidelines? 5.  Do you meet a Listing in the Blue Book or a Medical-vocational allowance? IF YOU ARE UNDER 50, YOU MUST PROVE THAT.... You are not medically able to perform any full-time work which exists in significant numbers in the United S...

  There are many steps or stages of a Social Security disability claim. And there are several agencies involved in processing and deciding your claim. You will encounter the Social Security Administration (SSA), a federal agency, and also the Disability Determination Service (DDS), a state agency. Later, you will probably encounter an administrative law judge (ALJ) from the Office of Hearings Operations (OHO), which is the appeals branch. The first step is with your local Social Security office, called a field office. You will either file an application by telephone or complete the application online. This office is responsible for assembly of a folder that contains all of your forms, signatures, releases and history. Once this is complete, you will be forwarded to a state agency. The next step is at the Disability Determination Service (DDS). This is a state agency which works under contract with Social Security to process disability claims. The DDS will order and evaluate...

Each year, the Social Security Administration reviews the national economy to see whether a Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) is needed for those receiving benefits.  This usually results in a small increase in payments to Social Security recipients.   The increase for 2021 will be 1.3 percent.  For a person receiving $1,500 per month in 2020, the ceck will increase to $1,519.50. The idea behind COLA is to help keep up with inflation so that the purchasing power of benefits is not diminished.   Here is a related question we often get:  I began receiving disability benefit before I was full retirment age.  When I become retirement age will my benefits increase?  The answer is usually no.  When a person becomes disabled, Social Security awards their retirement benefits early in the form of disability benefits.  When the beneficiary turns full retirement age (usually about 66 and one-half), the benefit converts to a retirement benefit b...

  Social Security is a very misunderstood federal program.  The better you understand it, the better it can work for you. 1.  Social Security is a federal insurance program sponsored by the US Government. 2.  It has several parts, including old age pensions (retirement), disabled workers benefits, widows benefits and benefits for dependents, among some of them. 3.  Not everyone is covered by Social Security disability insurance (SSDI).  You are usually covered if: You have worked and earned sufficient "quarters of coverage" under the regulations. You have worked at least 5 out of the most recent 10-year period. 4.  You must pay for Social Security disability insurance (SSDI).  You pay by working and having SSDI and Medicare tax deducted from your paycheck.  It's called FICA withholding.  This is what funds Medicare and Social Security.  Over 12 percent of all taxes paid by Americans go into the Social Security disability trust funds...