Although the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) does not consider pregnancy a disability, pregnancy discrimination is illegal under federal law. Employers must treat pregnant employees who are temporarily unable to work the same way as they would treat any other employee who is temporarily disabled for another reason. Additionally, if…

The process to apply for and eventually receive disability benefits through Social Security can be lengthy. Unfortunately, some claimants do not live long enough to make it to their disability hearings with an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ). Although it is small consolation, the claimant’s death does not necessarily mean the…

Approximately 60,000 Americans are diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease every year. The majority of these cases have no known cause, but the physical symptoms are quite clear. Here, we discuss the disease and whether having Parkinson’s Disease qualifies you for disability benefits through Social Security. Parkinson’s Disease is a progressive degenerative…

Millions of Americans receive some form of Social Security benefits, such as retirement benefits, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), or Supplemental Security Income (SSI). But what happens to the monthly payments if a beneficiary becomes incapacitated or dies? Incapacity: In some instances, a person receiving Social Security benefits becomes unable…

One of the elements that must be met in order to qualify for Social Security disability benefits is proving you are so disabled that you are incapable of engaging in Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA). SGA is a monetary threshold: if you earn more than a certain amount of money, after…

Obtaining Social Security disability benefits is often easier said than done. The Social Security Administration (SSA) can deny even valid claims for many different reasons. However, age is a factor in disability claims, and it may work in your favor. The odds of winning disability claims increase the older you…

As previously discussed, certain members of your family may be entitled to receive benefits from Social Security even if they are not disabled and you die. Here, we discuss spousal benefits specifically. In this instance, benefits are only available if you received Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits, not Supplemental…

You do not need to hire a disability lawyer to apply for Social Security disability benefits. In the United States, any litigant can choose to represent themselves. However, we recommend hiring an attorney to represent you during the entire Social Security disability application process. Should I Get a Lawyer Before…