A technicality that surprises many Social Security Disability claimants is a rule called the “date last insured” (DLI). This date is the last date you are eligible to receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). While there are many factors involved, your DLI generally expires around five years after you stop working. Regardless of your disabling […]
What Does VA Unemployability Mean? TDIU Claims (How to Win Them)
Are you a military veteran who can no longer earn a decent living, specifically because a service-connected disability keeps you from doing so? You may qualify for VA unemployability benefits. These benefits are available under a unique rating where the VA pays 100% of total disability compensation to a veteran who can’t work, and whose […]
What to Know about NFL Line of Duty Disability Policies
Former football players who are not totally and permanently disabled may be entitled to a short term disability benefit known as NFL Line of Duty disability (or LOD) where a player incurs a “substantial disablement arising out of NFL football activities.” Pro football players face all manner of disabilities. Because of the complex nature of […]
White House Wants SSA to Probe Social Media for Disability Claim Fraud
Social Security Disability claimants, take note: the Trump administration is working on a proposal authorizing SSA to use Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms, as an investigative tool to identify fraudulent claims for Social Security disability benefits. The New York Times reports this is part of the current administration’s efforts to “save Medicare, Medicaid […]
Camp Lejeune Presumptive Conditions – VA Water Contamination Claims
With recent changes to the law, here is what you need to know about Camp Lejeune presumptive conditions – from fast track disability decisions to appeals. VA currently offers two separate benefits to all qualifying veterans, and certain family members, who served at Camp Lejeune for no less than 30 days (cumulative) from 1953 through […]
Top 5 Questions about Sleep Apnea VA Claims
Top 5 Questions about Sleep Apnea VA Claims Answered Here Among the most common claims for which we help veterans in their fight for disability benefits are sleep apnea VA claims. As reported by the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) in the 2017 Annual Benefits Report, the three forms of sleep apnea (SA)—obstructive, central, and mixed—lead […]
How Is Sleep Apnea a Service-Connected Disability? Bridging the Gaps
If you are a veteran diagnosed with sleep apnea, you may be eligible for VA disability benefits. You may also be one of thousands of servicemen and women frustrated with their service-connected sleep apnea claims and the VA benefits system. And it’s no wonder, as these claims are often denied by VA. Service connection can […]
New VA Appeals System Begins! Veterans Have New Options to Appeal
This week the Department of Veterans Affairs launches its new, revamped appeals process for veterans disputing their disability claims decisions. The new law is called the Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act of 2017; or in shortened form, Appeals Modernization Act (AMA). Passed into law in 2017, the Act intends to reform the unacceptable wait […]
Dos and Don’ts of a C&P Exam – Get Set for a Favorable VA Exam
You’ve applied for disability benefits, and now VA sends you for one or more medical evaluations known as Compensation and Pension (C&P) exams. A favorable C&P exam is important because your disability rating will be a direct outcome of the VA examiner’s findings. With so much riding on the results, how can you set yourself […]
Why is a C&P Exam Important to Your VA Disability claim?
Why Is a C&P Exam Important to Your VA Disability claim? A Compensation and Pension exam can be the difference between an award and a denial. It can mean the difference between a 10% rating and a 60% or greater rating. It is a final discovery and assessment of evidence proving you are disabled due […]