The New “Full Retirement Age”
The prevailing thought among most people that we interact with is that the retirement age for everyone is 65 years old. However, only if you were born in 1937 or before, would your full retirement age be 65.…
How to Get a Copy of Your SSDI Disability File (2026 Guide)
Reviewed May 2026 You have a legal right to a complete copy of your Social Security disability file at any stage of your claim. As of 2026, you can request it three ways: download it electronically through your my Social…
What are Spousal Benefits?
If you are married to someone who is receiving social security disability insurance benefits, you may be eligible for benefits yourself. These benefits are called “spousal benefits.” You are eligible if you meet the following criteria: You are at…
Are benefits available for family members?
If you are receiving SSA disability benefits, family members may also be eligible for a monthly benefit of up to 50 percent of your benefit amount. Under Social Security Administration (SSA) rules, the total amount you and…
Am I Disabled?
Whether a person is disabled per the rules and regulations of the social security disability program is determined by three things: 1) He or she must have a severe impairment; 2) the person cannot perform work in a…
Few Resources; Long Wait
The Social Security Administration has closed over sixty field offices since fiscal 2010. This has resulted in less access to social security resources for claimants and tremendous wait times on the SSA’s toll-free line. As Congress has reduced the…
Who Can Be a Representative Payee?
An administrative law judge (“ALJ”) may determine that certain claimants are disabled to the extent that they cannot manage or handle the benefits they are to receive. In those cases, the ALJ will state that a representative payee…
Continuing Disability Review
A Continuing Disability Review (CDR) is conducted by the Social Security Administration (SSA) to make sure a person receiving SSA disability benefits still meets the eligibility requirements for disability, or to determine if a recipient’s condition has improved to the…
Unfortunate Development – Reinstating an Intermediate Step in the Disability Application Process
SSA will reintroduce the “reconsideration” stage of the SSA disability process, which will likely increase the wait time for a final decision. The adjudication process for social security disability benefits currently has three levels in Colorado; an initial…
Compassionate Allowances – Fast Determinations for Severe Conditions
The Social Security Administration gives special, expedited consideration for certain severe conditions, such as many inoperable cancers, early-onset Alzheimer’s disease and acute leukemia. The program is called the “Compassionate Allowance” initiative and enables the SSA to address the…