Charlotte Social Security Disability Blog

Seeking disability for Sjogren's Syndrome

On behalf of Bridgman Law Offices on Saturday, January 19, 2019.

You may have begun noticing the symptoms soon after you turned 40. Your eyes always felt dry and gritty no matter how often you used eye drops. Your mouth was so dry, you could hardly swallow food or even carry on a conversation. More symptoms began to appear, and you finally went to see your doctor.

Dry eyes and mouth are the hallmark of Sjogren's Syndrome, one of the most common autoimmune diseases from which Americans suffer. About 4 million people, mostly women, struggle with the symptoms that seem to have no pattern or cause. If your North Carolina doctor has diagnosed you with Sjogren's, you may feel relief to finally know what is wrong but concern about your future, especially if your symptoms make it impossible for you to work.

What does "substantial gainful activity" mean?

On behalf of Bridgman Law Offices posted in social security disability on Thursday, January 17, 2019.

According to the definition of disability provided by the Social Security Administration, a person may be deemed disabled and therefore potentially eligible for disability benefits if they are unable to do "substantial gainful activity" because of a physical or mental impairment that will end in their death or will last for at least a year. There are many confusing terms in this definition that may cause North Carolina residents to pause and evaluate if they meet the Social Security Administration's definition. It is important to understand what "substantial gainful activity" means.

Per guidance provided by the Code of Federal Regulations, substantial gainful activity directly relates to a person's capacity to do a job. It must include the individual partaking in significant physical or mental work, but the duration or amount of that work does not necessarily matter. A person may be able to engage in substantial work even if they only work part-time.

Anxiety disorders are varied and can be disabling

On behalf of Bridgman Law Offices posted in social security disability benefits for mental conditions on Thursday, January 10, 2019.

The term "anxiety" is often associated with stress, fear and other sentiments of worry or concern. From time to time practically all North Carolina residents will experience it, whether they are anxious about new jobs, fearful of pending medical procedures or worried about their families. However, most cases of anxiety pass with time and individuals return to their normal mental states. Individuals who suffer from anxiety disorders, however, may not ever find relief from their unease.

It is important that readers understand that anxiety is a general term that covers many different mental conditions. In fact, different anxiety disorders can be constant, contextual, may affect kids more than adults or may be triggered.

Disability benefits appeal takes time and are too slow for some

On behalf of Bridgman Law Offices posted in social security disability on Thursday, January 3, 2019.

When a person applies for disability benefits from the Social Security Administration, they must follow the procedural steps that this governmental entity has put into place to allow for the fair and impartial review of applications that arrive each and every day. While the procedures it has established helps the Social Security Administration maintain an orderly manner of functioning, the process can be cumbersome and slow for men and women who are in need of support. In fact, in North Carolina and throughout the United States, individuals seeking disability benefits are dying before their appealed cases are reviewed, according to reports.

More than 8,600 people died in 2016 while waiting to hear if their disability benefits cases had been decided, and in 2017 that total rose to more than 10,000. Individuals who have sought appeals for disability benefits are now waiting an average of 540 days to learn the outcomes of their cases.

The right information for individuals who are unable to work

On behalf of Bridgman Law Offices posted in social security disability on Wednesday, December 26, 2018.

At our law firm, we are dedicated to supporting the legal needs of North Carolina residents who are unable to work because of disabling medical conditions. Disabilities can be long-term conditions that individuals have had to live with from the beginnings of their lives, and they can result from sudden illnesses and injuries that take people by surprise. In whatever manner a person's disability developed, at our law firm we work to help them understand if and how their condition may allow them to seek benefits from the Social Security Administration.

The Social Security Administration offers two benefits' programs to disabled North Carolina residents who qualify: Supplemental Security Income and Social Security Disability Insurance. Each form of benefits has a different process for applying and securing support. Our readers may need to investigate their options for utilizing these programs.

What is a representative payee for SSD benefits?

On behalf of Bridgman Law Offices posted in social security disability on Thursday, December 20, 2018.

Illnesses and injuries can be disabling and individuals who are unable to support themselves because of their disabilities may qualify for benefits from the Social Security Administration. This North Carolina disability benefits blog is dedicated to educating its readers about the disabilities, rules and processes that are relevant to disability benefit applications. This post will address the important topic of how disability benefits are managed when a recipient is unable to take care of their own finances.

In the event that a disability benefits recipient is unable to receive or properly manage the money they get from the Social Security Administration, they may have a representative payee assigned to them. In many cases a representative payee will be a close family member of the recipient, such as their spouse, parent or adult child. If no family member is available, a representative organization may be appointed for the management of the recipient's disability benefits payments.

Disability benefits for social anxiety disorder

On behalf of Bridgman Law Offices on Wednesday, December 19, 2018.

You are not shy, and you may resent when people describe you that way. In fact, your problem goes much deeper than shyness to an often paralyzing fear. While it is normal for people to feel nervous in social gatherings, even around people they know, it is not typical for that nervousness to prevent them from participating.

You may miss important events, family gatherings or the chance to socialize with friends because you are overtaken with anxiety that people will judge you or that you will make an embarrassing mistake. Unfortunately, if you suffer from social anxiety disorder, you may also be unable to keep a job.

What is spinal stenosis?

On behalf of Bridgman Law Offices posted in social security disability benefits for injuries on Friday, December 14, 2018.

An injury that affects a person's spine can be detrimental to their long-term health. That is because the spine, which includes the spinal cord and spinal column, affects practically every other part of the body. As the spinal cord sends brain messages through the body's network of nerves, any injuries to it or its protective spinal column can be disastrous to the rest of a North Carolina resident's system.

Spinal stenosis is a potentially dangerous condition that involves the narrowing of the spaces surrounding the spine. When space between the spinal column and the spinal cord disappears, victims of spinal stenosis may experience pressure on those nerves that are responsible for providing brain feedback to the appendages and the rest of the body. Pressure can cause the body to experience pain, weakness, balance issues, and other damaging conditions.

Inflammatory bowel disease can be a disability

On behalf of Bridgman Law Offices posted in social security disability benefits for illness on Thursday, December 6, 2018.

It is next to impossible for a person to get through their life without ever experiencing a stomach ache. Whether they come across a food that does not agree with them, ingest something that is contaminated with bacteria or simply overeat to the point of discomfort, many North Carolina residents are able to remedy their ailments with over-the-counter aids and time. However, some people suffer from chronic and debilitating digestive issues that cause getting through each day to be a challenge.

Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease are two disorders that cause inflammation and in some cases ulcers on the lining of various parts of the digestive tract. Together they are considered elements of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The Social Security Administration may recognize IBD as a disability because it can have a damaging and pervasive impact on a victim's life.

Do mental disorders affect children?

On behalf of Bridgman Law Offices posted in ssi supplemental security income on Thursday, November 29, 2018.

Any parent can tell you that children's moods will swing from one end of the spectrum to the other in a matter of moments. A myriad of factors can influence how happy, sad, angry or silly a child is, such as how much sleep they have received, how stimulated they are and what interactions they have had throughout the day. These variations are normal, but for some North Carolina kids, regulating emotions and feelings can be next to impossible.

Just as adults may suffer from mental conditions like anxiety, depression and intellectual deficiencies, so too can children be affected by these serious conditions. The Social Security Administration recognizes that children may be disabled by their mental conditions and therefore includes in its listing of covered conditions a section on mental conditions that can impact and disable kids.