Financial Help While You Wait for Disability Benefits

We often find that our clients are in need of financial assistance while waiting for their disability benefits to be approved. The following is a list of links that may be helpful.

General Resources
http://www.211.org/
http://www.ssa.gov/ – Go to “Find Local Office,” enter in the zip code, then go to “Local Agencies”
Department Children and Families – Medicaid, Discount Drug Card, other services

Prescription Help
RX Outreach

Brevard County
Health Department
Social Services

Citrus County
Health Department
Social Services

Hernando County
Health Department and Social Services

Hillsborough County
Health Department
Social Services

Manatee County
Health Department
Social Services

Orange County
Health Department
Social Services

Pasco County
Health Department
Social Services

Pinellas County
Health Department
Social Services

Polk County
Health Department
Social Services



Copyright (c) 2008 by John V. Tucker and Tucker & Ludin, P.A. All rights reserved. Any content borrowed or referenced from another source is referenced by citation to the original source as noted in the text above.

How Much Social Security Will Pay You?

You can visit Social Security's website and use the Social Security Benefit Calculator to estimate your benefits from Social Security.


Copyright (c) 2008 by John V. Tucker and Tucker & Ludin, P.A. All rights reserved. Any content borrowed or referenced from another source is referenced by citation to the original source as noted in the text above.

Disability Benefit Tip of the Week: How to Apply for Social Security Disability

There are three ways you can apply for Social Security Disability benefits:

• Online: At the Social Security Administration's website (http://ssa.gov/applyfordisability/). By submitting an online application, you can complete both Social Security's Application and Social Security's Adult Disability and Work History Report online.
• By Phone: Call Social Security at their toll-free phone number 1-800-772-1213, and they will schedule an appointment to call you back.
• In-Person: You can also go into your local Social Security office and tell them you want to apply for Social Security Disability or SSI benefits. To find the closest Social Security office to your home, use Social Security's zip code office locater on their website.

Before starting the application, you will want to have the following information handy:

• The name, address, phone number, and dates of treatment for any doctors or hospitals that have treated your for your condition
• The name, prescribing doctor, and side effects of any prescription medication
• Your work history for the past 15 years, including the dates of employment and the type of work that you did.

If you do not provide Social Security with this information, your case may be decided with less than a full set of facts. This may result in an unfavorable determination simply because Social Security could not get the information they needed to make a decision.

REMEMBER: BEFORE APPLYING, MAKE SURE TO HAVE A COMPLETE LIST OF YOUR MEDICAL TREATMENT, MEDICATION, AND WORK HISTORY AVAILABLE


Copyright (c) 2008 by John V. Tucker and Tucker & Ludin, P.A. All rights reserved. Any content borrowed or referenced from another source is referenced by citation to the original source as noted in the text above.

VA Finally Accepts ALS (also called Lou Gehrig's Disease) as Service-Connected Disability

The Baltimore Sun is reporting that the Department of Veterans Affairs ("VA") has decided to designate ALS, the disease also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, as a service-connected disability for all veterans, regardless of their time in service. VA previously offered a presumption related to ALS only for veterans of the First Persian Gulf War. Vets from the first Gulf War have contracted ALS at an alarming rate. However, all veterans are more likely than the rest of the population to contract ALS.

ALS is a horrible disease which causes paralysis, but leaves a person's mind fully intact. Our research has shown that it often results in death in 3 to 5 years from the time a person starts showing symptoms and is diagnosed.

This was the right thing to do, and we applaud VA for making this decision. Of course, the devil is in the details, so we are waiting to see the final regulations which VA issues, but this is a step in the right direction.

Here is the full story in the Sun: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/health/bal-te.als25jul25,0,5102561.story?track=rss


Copyright (c) 2008 by John V. Tucker and Tucker & Ludin, P.A. All rights reserved. Any content borrowed or referenced from another source is referenced by citation to the original source as noted in the text above.

McCains Backs Law That Would Give the ADA Some Teeth Again

The Associated Press is reporting that Republican Presidential Candidate Sen. John McCain is backing proposed legislation that would extend the protections of the American With Disabilities Act to people people who take medicine to control epilepsy, diabetes or cancer, or use prosthetic limbs. The law has been largely made ineffective by the courts since it was enacted under the first President Bush. Democratic Presidential hopeful Sen. Barak Obama also supports the bill.

Here is a link to the full article: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080727/ap_on_el_pr/mccain_disabilities


Copyright (c) 2008 by John V. Tucker and Tucker & Ludin, P.A. All rights reserved. Any content borrowed or referenced from another source is referenced by citation to the original source as noted in the text above.