Tucson Social Security Disability Blog

Happy Sixtieth Birthday To Social Security Disability

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In August, 1956 President Eisenhower signed into law amendments to the Social Security Act to add coverage for the disabled. This addition to Social Security benefits was good news for those persons who could no longer work. It is interesting to note, however, how different the program was when it started six decades ago.  For example:

I Like Ike Even More Since He Expanded SSA

The minimum age to be eligible for disability benefits was 50. The maximum age was 64.

Children of Social Security beneficiaries who were disabled before age 18 could also claim benefits.

The disabling condition need to either result in death or be of a “long-continued and indefinite duration.”

The waiting period for benefits was six months, rather than the five currently

Anyone who qualified for benefits was immediately referred to the vocational rehabilitation services in his state.

There were no benefits for the dependent children of the disabled.

Clearly, the program has expanded since then. For example, an adult of any age can get disability benefits if she is unable to work. Also, the language about an “indefinite duration” has been replaced with a one-year requirement.

I Didn’t Know Congress Could Pass Good Laws

The program has been a success in its sixty years. In that time, almost eleven million men, women, children, spouses, and widows have collected benefits. This has helped to lift people out of poverty and allowed the disabled to live independently. It’s comforting to know that there are government programs that work as intended.

I hope you will never need to apply for Social Security disability. But if you do, or you just have questions about it, please call, text, or email.

Hearing scheduled? Call Today.

If Social Security has scheduled your disability case to be heard by one of their judges, call me immediately. Unlike many large law firms, I can move quickly to get your case ready to be won.

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About The Author

Since 1992, I have been helping the people of Southern Arizona get the benefits they are due. Before devoting all my efforts to assisting people with Social Security disability claims, I also handled such complex lawsuits as medical malpractice and products liability. I brought to my Social Security cases all the skills and attention to detail that I developed in the courtroom. I approach each Social Security disability case as if it were a million-dollar lawsuit. For the people trying to get Social Security benefits, their claim is every bit as important. Because I have personally handled so many Social Security cases, I have refined the skills I need to win your case for you. I have helped people win cases for every kind of ailment from arthritis to valley fever. At present, I am focused on helping those persons with neurological and orthopedic disorders. Because claims for people over age fifty bring additional complications, I particularly seek out those cases to work on. I regularly write about back and spine conditions on my blog. I actively seek out the latest information about orthopedic and neurological disorders to ensure I can represent my clients as effectively as possible. Because of my current focus, I regret that I am not able to take any cases for mental disorders. If you are over age fifty and suffer from any orthopedic or neurological disorder, please contact me at once.