Is It Legal For Insurance Companies To Hire Someone To Follow And Videotape Me
Yes, it is legal and normal for insurance companies to hire investigative companies to photograph and videotape claimants in order to assess the validity of their disability claim. The reason for this is that they want to ensure that there are no fraudulent claims or misrepresentations. Therefore, it is important that you be honest when filing your claim and speaking with doctors, specialists, your insurance company and your lawyer.However, if you feel as though investigative companies are putting you in danger, are trespassing, invading your privacy, or otherwise breaking the law you should contact the police.
How Can I Check The Status Of My Social Security Disability Application
Social Security Disability applications take time to be processed and must pass through various screening processes before a decision on the disability claim is made. Checking your Social Security application status is an easy way to stay on top of your Social Security application to make sure there is no missing information slowing down your Social Security disability application.
Once you submit your disability claim, it goes to a local office where it is processed and evaluated. Part of this evaluation involves gathering your medical records and other relevant information regarding your claim. As a general rule of thumb, it takes about a months time before all of the required information is on file with the Social Security Administration . When you are waiting to hear back from decision from the SSA regarding you claim, there could be signs you will be approved for disability, which include: earning less than the SGA and having an ample amount of work credits and medical records to back up your claim.
Our Philadelphia + Bucks County Disability Attorneys Can Help
If you or someone you love plans to apply for disability benefits in Philadelphia or Bucks County, or if you need assistance appealing a denial, our disability lawyers are here to help. To schedule your free and private case evaluation, call Young, Marr & Associates at 701-6519 in Pennsylvania today.
DISABILITY RESOURCE CENTER
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How Can You Expedite Your Claim
Make certain that you have proper identification when you make your claim: Birth Certificate, Social Security Card, Driver’s License, etc.
Take time to go over your work history and try to list all of your employers for the last 15 years. Company names, addresses where you worked, supervisors’ names, and any documentation on how much you were paid will all be helpful.
Know the date that you stopped working due to your impairment. Know the date that your work changed due to your impairment if that is different from the date when you finally quit. Explain any special working conditions that may have been provided by your employer to keep you on the job.
Write down the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of any medical source you have seen. The DDS may have trouble identifying the right doctor if you only state “Dr. Smith in Denver,” so it would be most efficient if you would provide accurate names, addresses, and telephone numbers.
If your doctor has given you any written instructions that limit your activities, have a copy placed in your file. The date the restriction started and the date it might end are very important to your decision.
It is also helpful to ask your doctor to write a medical source statement about the facts of your medical condition and how your impairments limit your physical and/or mental functional capacity.
Administrative Appeals Process
How Much You Will Receive
The amount of your monthly SSDI benefit is based on your lifetime average earnings covered by Social Security.
If you dont already have an estimate, you can get your Social Security Statement online with your personal mySocial Security account or use our Benefit Calculators to determine how much you could get if you became disabled right now.
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The Other Parts Of Medicare
- Medicare Advantage Plan people with Medicare Parts A and Part B can choose to receive all of their health care services through plans that are offered by private companies and approved by Medicare. For more information, we recommend you read Medicares How do Medicare Advantage Plans work?
- Medicare Part D helps pay for medications doctors prescribe for treatment. For more information on the enrollment periods for Part D, we recommend you read Medicares How to get prescription drug coverage page.
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Why You Should Check The Status Of A Claim
It is important to check the status of your disability claim to ensure that it has not stalled for some reason. The SSA may reach out if further information or details are required to process your claim. For instance, your claim may need additional medical evidence, which requires getting in touch with your treating doctor. The sooner this information is submitted, the sooner the SSA can make a decision.
In some cases, a decision may not be sent out. Mistakes and mix-ups happen. Paperwork may get lost or misplaced. Mail may also get lost or fail to reach you in a timely manner. This can halt the progress of your case and waste valuable time.
The SSA may even fail to notify you that your claim has not been approved. Claimants only have 60 days from the date they receive a denial notice to file an appeal. It can be hard to adhere to a deadline if you are unaware your claim was stalled or rejected. In extreme cases, if the SSA determines that you missed the appeal date even if the error was their own you may have to file a new disability claim.
Checking your claims status will not only keep you up-to-date on the progression of your claim, but you can also learn if anything could be done to help speed up the review process.
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Why You Should Check The Status Of A Social Security Disability Application
Now that you know how to check the status of your Social Security disability application, it is important to know why you should do so. You should check on your applications status because:
- Paperwork may get lost. It is possible that the paperwork for a Social Security disability benefits application was lost. When this happens, the case will not progress, and valuable time may be lost. In some cases, the applicant may even have to prepare and file an entirely new application. This occurs when the Social Security Administration determines that the appeal deadline was missed, even if that missed deadline was the fault of the SSA itself.
- The Social Security Administration may fail to notify you that your claim has been denied. Applicants have only 65 days from the date on which the denial was issued to file an appeal. Naturally, it is extremely difficult to comply with this deadline if you are not aware that your claim was denied.
- Contacting your claims examiner at the Disability Determination Services to inquire about the status of your case could potentially speed the matter along.
How Do Benefits Work And How Can I Qualify
While you work, you pay Social Security taxes. This tax money goes into a trust fund that pays benefits to:
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Those who are currently retired
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To people with disabilities
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To the surviving spouses and children of workers who have died
Each year you work, youll get credits to help you become eligible for benefits when its time for you to retire. Find all the benefits Social Security Administration offers.
There are four main types of benefits that the SSA offers:
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Learn about earning limits if you plan to work while receiving Social Security benefits
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What Are The Average Ssi And Ssdi Payments
There are limits to how much you can receive in disability benefits each month. In 2016, the maximum amount you can receive from SSDI is $2639 per month. Additionally, the limit for SSI is $733 for a single person and $1100 for a couple. By the time you get approval for benefits, you will likely qualify for back pay as well. Social Security disability back pay is money you receive for past due benefits. This means you are compensated for the payments you would have received in the months between when you filed your application and when it was approved.
Currently, the average disability payment is $1,166 for SSDI and $542 for SSI. However, these numbers change yearly. Therefore, you should always check with your local Tulsa disability lawyers for the latest Social Security benefits statistics.
Can I Get A Tax Refund On Ssdi
The IRS emphasized that Social Security benefits and Social Security Disability Income do not count as earned income. The law is clear that tax refunds , including refunds from tax credits such as the EITC, are not counted as income for purposes of determining eligibility for such benefits.
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Checking Your Disability Claim Status After Requesting An Appeals Council Review
If an administrative law judge denies your claim, you can still request an Appeals Council Review. At this point, it is strongly recommended to retain the services of a Social Security disability lawyer for the best case results. Your legal counsel will keep you up to date on the status of your claim if you get to this point in the appeals process.
Still, you can be proactive and verify that the Appeals Council has received your request for review by calling the SSA Claimant and Public Assistance Branch at or toll-free at .
Why Is It Important To Periodically Check For Updates
Whether you do it on your own or rely upon the lawyer handling your claim, checking the status of a claim or appeal may avoid unnecessary delays. For instance, Social Security eventually notifies you when your application for benefits has stalled in the review process either because of information missing from the application itself or because additional medical evidence is needed. Unfortunately, notices are sent by mail that could take time to get to you provided they do not get lost.
Using one of the methods available to check the status of a claim alerts you to issues that you may be able to act on immediately rather than waiting for a letter to be generated and make its way through the postal system. It allows you to speed things up, which is important when dealing with the financial pressures of a disability that prevents you from working.
An all-too-common example of an application being held up for a reason that may be easily addressed has to do with requests for medical records by Disability Determination Services. To evaluate your disability claim, DDS may request medical records from your health care providers.
If, in checking the status of the claim, you or your SSI lawyer may discover that it is being delayed because the DDS request has not been responded to by the physician or provider. It may take nothing more than a call from your lawyer to the medical provider to prompt compliance with the DDS request.
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Why Should You Check On The Status Of Your Disability Application
There are several reasons why you should check on your application status. These include:
- You may find that the Social Security Administration fails to notify you about a denial of your claim. This is important because you only have 65 days from the denial date in which to file an appeal. If you dont know that your claim was denied, you may miss the appeal date.
- It is possible for paperwork to get lost. This can halt the progress of your case and in extreme circumstances, require you to reapply. This happens when the SSA determines that you missed the appeal date, even if the fault was their own.
Checking Your Disability Appeal Status After Requesting A Hearing
If your claim is denied after requesting a reconsideration, you can then appeal an SSA decision. Once youve requested a hearing with an administrative law judge , youll wait to receive a notice of the date, time, and place of your disability hearing.
Youll be notified of this appeal information in writing via U.S. mail, but you can also access this information online by logging in to your my Social Security account. If you have additional questions, you can contact the SSAs Office of Disability Adjudication and Review . Utilize the contact information sent directly to you in your hearing notice.
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What Is The Disability Determination Process
Most disability claims are initially processed through the network of local Social Security field offices and State agencies. In Louisiana, the state agency is called Disability Determination Services . Subsequent appeals of unfavorable determinations may be decided by Hearing Officers in the DDSs Hearing Units or Administrative Law Judges in SSAs Office of Hearings and Appeals.
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How Do I Check The Status Of A Pending Social Security Disability Claim
It can take several months for your disability claim to be decided, and during that time you may have questions about the status of your claim. It is important to be proactive about tracking your Social Security disability claim as it moves through the system, but first you need to know how and why to do it.
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Why You Should Check The Status Of Your Ssdi/ssi Claim
Even as early as the submission of any initial application, we suggest you check on its status right away. This is to ensure that your claim hasnt stalled for some reason and is sitting awaiting further information or details. By checking periodically at all stages of the process, you allow yourself the opportunity to offer the evidence or documentation that will be required to process the claim.
As a prime example, your claim may need medical documentation, but that may not have been submitted and may require you to get in touch with the doctors office to nudge them into action. The SSA is unlikely to make repeated calls looking for the information, but you can.
You will also want to check to see if the claim is under official review. You will know that your claim has made its way out of the local SSA office and to the official DDS or Disability Determination Service because the individual assigned to your process will get in touch.
How Does The Ssa Determine Who Receives The Maximum Benefit Amount
The reason SSDI payments differ is that the SSA bases its monthly payments on your earnings the last few years before you apply for disability. This means that claimants who had a higher salary or income will generally receive a larger monthly payment, up to the maximum benefit amount. Those who earned only a modest income will receive less money each month.
In many cases, this means those who suffer a permanent impairment at a younger age receive a smaller check each month. Older claimants have often worked their way further up the ladder and were able to earn a higher income than their younger counterparts.
For a free legal consultation, call
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Building Successful Futures For Iowans With Disabilities
The Iowa DDS assists Iowans with disabilities through our consistent effort to process disability determinations with accuracy, speed and care. Our DDS staff have been recognized by the the Social Security Administration Regional Commissioner for clearing more than 41,000 claims yearly, while maintaining an impressive 95.7% accuracy rate!We also determine Military Casualty/Wounded Warrior cases. Wounded Warrior cases are determined by specially-trained staff with DDS, who are dedicated to processing these cases in the most accurate and timely manner possible. These expedited determinations help United States military service members in Iowa receive Social Security disability benefits if eligible.Due to the effort of DDS staff, more Iowans with disabilities who are eligible for Social Security benefits have access to these benefits today.
Check With Your Disability Attorney
One of the many advantages of having a Social Security Disability attorney is that they will keep up with your case and keep you in the loop. Your attorney or a member of their team can contact Social Security on your behalf to obtain updates about your Disability claim status.
At McDonald Law Firm, we realize how much our clients have on their plates. We work to minimize your stress by staying on top of your claim and taking care of any issues that come up along the way.
If you need an experienced Social Security Disability lawyer, our team would be glad to assist you. We will figure out where your claim is and what needs to be done to increase your chances of a successful outcome. Contact us today at or fill out the contact form on this page.
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How Do I Check The Status On A Pending Social Security Disability Claim
Posted on behalf of Sigman, Janssen, Sewall, Pitz & Burkham on in Social Security
It can take some time for the Social Security Administration to make a decision on your disability claim. During this time period, you may have questions about your pending claim. Fortunately, there are a number of ways to check your claims status, depending on the stage your disability claim is in.
Our Green Bay Social Security Disability attorneys at Sigman Janssen explain the importance of taking initiative and following up on your claim versus having to wait for the SSA to give you an update.
Contact our firm today to see how we may be able to help. We know what it takes to receive approval or overturn a decision to get you the disability benefits you need. An initial consultation costs nothing and there is no obligation involved. We also charge no upfront fees for our legal services.
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