Can You Receive Social Security Disability and Workers’ Compensation Benefits at the Same Time?

It is possible to receive Social Security disability and workers’ compensation benefits at the same time. However, workers’ compensation and other public disability benefits may reduce Social Security disability benefits.

When someone is eligible for both workers’ compensation and Social Security disability benefits, the state may modify or “offset” the Social Security benefit. It can be beneficial to contact an attorney to see how workers’ compensation or other benefits could affect your Social Security disability payments. Importantly, reporting receipt of workers’ compensation is one of your responsibilities when receiving disability.

In addition, as Social Security disability payments are frequently insufficient to cover all of a person’s living expenses, it’s important to collect all the other benefits to which you may be entitled, and, if you are able, even try to supplement your income with part-time employment (but take care not to earn more than what would be considered substantial gainful activity by the Social Security Administration). Again, an attorney can be extremely helpful in advising the best course of action for you throughout your unique claim. Contact us to learn more about Social Security disability benefits and workers’ compensation.

Social Security Adds New Compassionate Allowances Conditions

This week, the Social Security Administration (SSA) announced 25 new conditions that will be included in its Compassionate Allowances Program. Among the new conditions are a dozen cancers, as well as disorders that affect the digestive, neurological, immune, and multiple body systems. The additions bring the total number of Compassionate Allowances Conditions to 225.

The Compassionate Allowances program identifies claims where the applicant’s disease or condition clearly meets Social Security’s statutory standard for disability. The goal of the program is to expedite disability decisions for Americans with the most serious disabilities to ensure that they receive their benefit decisions within days instead of months or years. According to the SSA, almost 200,000 people with severe disabilities have been approved to date through this fast-track disability process.

The new Compassionate Allowances conditions are:

• Angiosarcoma
• Atypical Teratoid/Rhabdoid Tumor
• Chronic Idiopathic Intestinal Pseudo Obstruction
• Coffin- Lowry Syndrome
• Esthesioneuroblastoma
• Giant Axonal Neuropathy
• Hoyeaal-Hreidarsson Syndrome
• Intracranial Hemangiopericytoma
• Joubert Syndrome
• Leptomeningeal Carcinomatosis
• Liposarcoma- metastatic or recurrent
• Malignant Ectomesenchymoma
• Malignant Renal Rhabdoid Tumor
• Marshall-Smith Syndrome
• Oligodendroglioma Brain Tumor- Grade III
• Pallister-Killian Syndrome
• Progressive Bulbar Palsy
• Prostate Cancer – Hormone Refractory Disease – or with visceral metastases
• Revesz Syndrome
• Seckel Syndrome
• Sjogren-Larsson Syndrome
• Small Cell Cancer of the Thymus
• Soft Tissue Sarcoma- with distant metastases or recurrent
• X-Linked Lymphoproliferative Disease
• X-Linked Myotubular Myopathy

For more information about the Compassionate Allowances Program, including a list of all of the conditions, you can visit www.socialsecurity.gov/compassionateallowances. Additionally, you can always contact us with any questions about a Social Security disability claim.

Three Important Things to Know if You are Injured at Work

If you’ve been injured at work, it can be a stressful experience. Not only do you have to deal with the injury itself, but the prospect of missing time from work and suffering a wage loss for an extended period can put your financial security in doubt. Fortunately, workers’ compensation benefits can provide a much needed recourse during this straining time. Here are three things to know if you are injured on the job:

• Report every work injury to your supervisor or employer. Though it may seem admirable to attempt to tough it out, not reporting an injury may hurt or ultimately bar a claim for workers’ compensation later on.
• Tell your medical provider that your injury is work related. As a result, your medical bills will be sent to your employer.
• You may need a workers’ compensation lawyer to help you get the benefits you deserve. Workers’ compensation law can be complex and confusing, and your employer may try to resist paying you benefits. That’s why it’s often crucial to enlist the help of an experienced workers’ compensation attorney to aid you with your claim. At Pond Lehocky Stern Giordano, our attorneys are highly experienced, handle various types of workers’ compensation cases, and are tireless advocates for workers’ rights. We’ll fight for you throughout every step of your workers’ compensation claim, so contact us now.