The History of Social Security & Disability

The law is a vast network of rules and codes we live by. When it comes to the general public, and even many working within law enforcement, there are many question.

Way back in 1936, the Social Security Administration was aware for the need to cover disabled people. They pushed for it to happen but the idea never moved forward. Finally, in 1956, disability become part of the program. The Social Security Amendments of 1956 established monthly benefits for disabled workers and children of retired or deceased workers.

Later on, in 1960 the requirement which stated the worker be at least 50 years old to receive benefits was eliminated. This opened up the program to people who were disabled and younger than 50 years of age. 

20 years later in 1980, The Social Security Amendments of 1980 placed a cap on family benefits to disabled workers. Four years later, the program was reorganized to resemble something close to what we have today.

According to Maria, a disability attorney in Brevard County FL., Congress established a series of rules creating a medical review standard. The program is based on objective medical evidence, and eligibility is based on work history. Benefits are paid after a waiting period. 

Attorneys like Maria, specialize in helping people apply and get approved for disability payments. “The application process can sometimes be daunting. There can be a lot of information to assemble and this is not the time to ‘learn on the job’, so to speak.”

“Applications should be as robust and sound as humanly possible the first time they are submitted,” she went on to say. “Although there is no limit to how many times you can apply, reapplying with basically the same claim and same information will result in a denial.”

Using an attorney to help with your case can improve your odds of getting approved by about 50%. Furthermore, using an attorney to help you with an appeal also guarantees an improved success rate of about 50%. They can take a look at your case and tell exactly what is wrong with it and help you fix your application. They will also handle all correspondences with the SSA in a timely manner. 

• • When to reapply 
    • If you have a new medical condition or your current impairment has worsened
    • If you’re seeking benefits for a different medical condition than your previous application
    When to appeal
    • If your application is denied, you should appeal within 60 days 
    • If you’ve been denied more than once, you should appeal instead of reapplying 
    • If you’ve received a protective filing date, you should appeal to preserve that date 

As you can see, this isn’t the easiest of fields of law to understand. Just like any form of law, it helps to know the bylines and guidelines. Being prepared is the best advice anyone can give you when it comes to applying for disability. Know what you are applying for and have realistic expectations. And most all, stay vigilant. If you are disabled and are in need of disability payments, don’t give up on your case because the application is hard or you got denied.