Ohio Social Security Disability And SSI Legal Blog

A senator from Ohio has renewed his efforts to increase the asset cap that applies to individuals receiving Supplemental Security Income payments. The current federal limits for people to get these funds is $2,000 for a single person and $3,000 for a married couple. If people exceed those asset limits, then they are not eligible for SSI benefits. The limits were established in 1989, so the senator has called them out of date and arbitrary.

He says such a low asset limit prevents those who receive SSI benefits from saving, making them prone to problems in case of emergency. His proposed legislation, called the Supplemental Security Income Restoration Act, would increase the asset limits to $10,000 for a single person and $20,000 for a married couple. The senator has introduced the bill repeatedly since 2014. Other provisions of the legislation include an allowance for SSI recipients to earn up to $399 each month and to receive up to $123 each month from veterans programs or pensions without endangering their benefit payments.

Many Ohio residents consider disabilities to affect the physical body, such as complications from a traumatic brain injury, burns or broken bones. What about emotional injuries, you may wonder? Can something like chronic anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder be disabling enough to prevent you from working?

Post-traumatic stress disorder is a complicated condition that can cause devastating mental and even physical effects, as the American Psychiatric Association explains. PTSD can occur after witnessing or experiencing a traumatic event. The event does not have to be sudden, such as a car accident or explosion. You can also develop PTSD after experiencing years of trauma, such as childhood abuse or being in a violent relationship.

Fibromyalgia is one of the conditions that may qualify you for Social Security Disability Insurance in Ohio. Doctors and researchers do not yet fully understand fibromyalgia. For these reasons, initial misdiagnosis is fairly common. The cause is unknown, but the presence of other conditions, like lupus, osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis, may be a risk factor, as is a family history of fibromyalgia. According to the Mayo Clinic, the condition may affect either men or women but occurs more often in the latter. 

People with fibromyalgia often have difficulty maintaining mental focus, finding it difficult to pay attention and concentrate. Cognitive difficulties such as these may occur alongside chronic fatigue and/or sleep disorders. However, the hallmark of fibromyalgia may be the pain that is widespread throughout the body and endures for at least three months. Patients with fibromyalgia describe it as a dull ache that occurs constantly. 

Filing for Social Security Disability Insurance benefits can be a difficult process. Some people may even refer to it as a waiting game, as it often takes an average of 18 months for applicants to receive a decision. In some cases, applicants have passed away from their disability, even before they were granted benefits. According to the Social Security Administration, more than 800,000 disabled Americans are waiting for a response to their SSDI application. A surprising 10,002 people on the waiting list in 2017 died while waiting for a response to their applications. Why does the SSDI application process take so long?

The problem lies in the fact that the number of SSDI claims have skyrocketed over the past decade. Many of the claims come from aging baby boomers, who are unable to work as they get older or have received a long-term disability from an on-the-job accident. Each claim must be researched by SSA representatives, who must first determine whether the disability or disease is covered under the SSDI benefits. They must then ensure that the claim includes sufficient medical evidence, including physician documentation. In some cases, the SSA representative must call and follow-up with the physician if there is any missing information.