Applying for Benefits

Ask a Lawyer: Could I get SSI for anxiety disorder??

June 9, 2011
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We received a question from a young woman suffering from anxiety disorder. She wants to know if she can get social security disability based on her mental illness. Q: Could I get SSI for anxiety disorder?? I am 22 years old and I cannot work anywhere because my disorder prevents me from being in crowds [...]

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What Is the Five-step Process That Social Security Uses to Decide Disability Claims? (Part 5: Other Work)

August 30, 2010
Step 5 of the sequential evaluation process

Please keep in mind that a lot of the terms used by Social Security to determine disability have specific legal meanings and probably don’t mean what you think they do. Step 5 is usually the most complicated step in a Social Security disability case. It is also the one that we most frequently get to [...]

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What Is the Five-step Process That Social Security Uses to Decide Disability Claims? (Part 4: Past Relevant Work)

August 23, 2010
Step 4 of the sequential evaluation process

Please keep in mind that a lot of the terms used by Social Security to determine disability have specific legal meanings and probably don’t mean what you think they do. Assuming that you do not meet or equal a listed impairment at step 3, Social Security next decides whether or not you can do work [...]

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Where Can I Get Help with Medical Care While I Am Applying for Social Security Disability?

June 8, 2010
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This post will cover the two most urgent needs that you will face while  you wait for your claim to be processed by Social Security: medical care and prescription coverage. Getting medical care when you have filed an application for disability benefits is crucial. Social Security places a big emphasis on what is in your medical records. [...]

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What Is the Five-step Process That Social Security Uses to Decide Disability Claims? (Part 3: The Listing of Impairments)

May 27, 2010
Step 3 of the sequential evaluation process

Please keep in mind that a lot of the terms used by Social Security to determine disability have specific legal meanings and probably don’t mean what you think they do. Social Security has a list of impairments that it uses at this step to determine if you are disabled. If your impairments is on the [...]

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