CLE Center Home  |  FAQs  |  
 
Social Security Disability 101 Open Article in Another Window
March 2003
Learning the basics of Social Security disability law to better serve your clients.
General Credit
1. SSD Claims are usually approved or disapproved within a month of filing.  True  False
2. SSD benefits are paid only to individuals who are age 55 or older.  True  False
3. The SSD and SSI disability programs have the same medical requirements.  True  False
4. In order to meet the earnings requirement of the SSD program, an individual must have worked for at least ten years in jobs covered by Social Security taxes.  True  False
5. An SSI disability claim will be automatically denied if the individual has never worked.  True  False
6. The SSI disability program pays benefits to the disabled individual and to his or her dependent children and spouse.  True  False
7. The only factor considered in the evaluation of an SSD claim is the individual's work history.  True  False
8. An individual filing for SSD benefits can ask to skip the initial claim and the reconsideration process and go immediately to a hearing before an administrative law judge.  True  False
9. Obesity is an example of an impairment in the Listing of Impairments contained in SSA regulations.  True  False
10. The SSI program is "income based on need".  True  False
11. An individual awarded SSD or SSI disability payments can never attempt to return to work.  True  False
12. The SSA follows a sequential process when evaluating disability claims.  True  False
13. Claimants are not allowed to speak to the administrative law judge at a hearing.  True  False
14. A claimant who makes an unsuccessful attempt to return to work cannot rely on the original claim.  True  False
15. Hearing decisions are usually issued verbally by the judge at the end of the hearing.  True  False
16. The hearing is the final step in the SSA appeal process.  True  False
17. The attorneys fee payable on both SSD and SSI disbaility cases is 50 percent of the claimant's retroactive benefit payment.  True  False
18. The nonmedical requirements of the SSD and SSI disbaility programs are the same.  True  False
19. Claimants whose claims are denied at the hearing level can never file another SSD or SSI disability claim.  True  False
20. Social Security earnings records are always completely accurate.  True  False