Not all federal government agencies process disability retirement applications in the same manner. The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has a standard procedure for federal government employees seeking disability retirement. However, each federal agency is...

When a person is awarded Railroad Retirement disability benefits – that person is generally entitled to Medicare benefits twenty-nine months after the date disability is determined. The date of disability or the Established Onset Date (EOD) is critical for when...

The Social Security Administration is changing the rules on how Past Relevant Work is evaluated. Effective June 22, 2024, the Administration will only consider the past five years of Past Relevant Work – instead of fifteen years – when making decisions on applications...

People who have to stop working due to health reasons sometimes have both a Social Security Disability claim and a Short Term Disability/Long Term Disability claim. These are separate disability programs – one is administered by the Social Security Administration, and...

As part of its compensation package, many employers offer insurance benefits. These benefits sometimes include Short Term and Long Term Disability (“STD and LTD”) insurance. This insurance is intended to provide partial income replacement if you become unable to...

Initial (First stage) and Reconsideration (Second stage) Understanding why the SSA process is so lengthy can be difficult. We can feel like SSA expects us to stick to strict deadlines and get paperwork in timely, but it seems like they have no such restrictions. They...

Many employers offer benefits in addition to wages. Besides health, dental, life, and accident insurance, some employers also offer short-term and long-term disability insurance. This insurance is designed to replace some of your regular income in the event you become...