I recently had a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge representing a pleasant 27 year old woman who we will call Jane. Jane is diagnosed with infantile cerebral palsy, among other conditions. This is a sad case that should never have went before a judge. Jane was already receiving disability thru Supplemental Security Income; however […]

We Got an Award! Dempsey, Dempsey and Hilts received an award from the group, Social Security Disability Leadership. We were recognized as one of the top 500 firms in the nation. In fact, according to the Social Security Administration, we are 305th in the nation for 2022 in number of Social Security Disability and SSI […]

The biggest backlog in the government, Appeals pending at the Social Security Administration’s Office of Disablity Adjudicaiton and Review,  has now reached one million appeals according to a Audit Report completed by the Office of the Inspector General .  The average time to process claims has reacehd 450 days.  The Social Security Adminstration is strained […]

Sometimes those who intend to help really screw things up. A couple of social workers in a local Illinois agency were convinced that all attorneys want to do is drag out Social Security cases so they can get fees. In fact, they were convinced that the best way to get disability benefits was for their […]

If there is anything we Americans hate, its paperwork.  Unfortunately, when you apply for Social Security Disability or SSI, you get smacked with a lot of it. Too many people rush through the paperwork and make mistakes that can end up costing them their benefits! One of the forms that is easy to mess up […]

SOCIAL SECURITY CASES HEARD IN HANNIBAL REASSIGNED TO ST. LOUIS ODAR In November our office was notified that all of our cases which are heard in Hannibal – all of our Illinois cases as well as the eastern two-thirds of Northeast Missouri — are being transferred back to the St. Louis Office of Disability Adjudication […]

I-Team: Disablity delays – Atlanta News, Weather, Traffic, and Sports | FOX 5.   This news report from a Fox affiliate in Atlanta, GA is representative of what is happening in our local area.

One important thing when someone is on Social Security Disability or is receiving SSI benefits is to keep in treatment and keep track of what medical providers you see and when you see them. You are going to come up for review every three years by the Social Security Administration and you can get yourself […]

A week doesn’t go by that we don’t see clients with questions about Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) who do not qualify because they have not paid into the Social Security system.  Self-employed farmers, construction workers, truck drivers, or other small business owners are seldom advised about what it takes to build up credits with […]

Applying for Social Security Disability benefits can mean facing two or more years of loss of income.  How should someone dealwith this financial crisis?  Bankruptcy can give some relief, but the timing is important and depends on a number of factors:             1.  Is the Claimant single or married?             2.  Does the Claimant have […]