Author Archives: Jay Butchko
Can I Be Automatically Qualified for Social Security Disability?
If you were recently diagnosed with a disabling medical condition and are planning to seek Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits, you may be wondering about wait times and whether there are any options for being automatically qualified for benefits. If you begin to conduct your own research on the internet, you may find… Read More »
New Bill Proposes “Modernization” of SSD Program
Is the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program in need of modernization? According to a recent press release, US Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) have proposed a bipartisan bill titled “Improving Employment Options for DI Beneficiaries Act,” which is aimed at modernizing the current system. More specifically, the Act would “make… Read More »
Students Loans Have Restarted: Should You File for Bankruptcy?
As of October 2023, federal student loan payments have resumed. What that means for debtors in the St. Petersburg area is that they will need to begin planning for monthly student loan payments alongside other financial obligations. For student loan holders who were already struggling with debt before loan payments resumed, the addition of… Read More »
What is a Disability?
After a person has sustained a debilitating injury or has been diagnosed with a debilitating medical condition or illness, both the debilitated person and their doctors often talk in terms of disability. For example, a person who has been injured or recently diagnosed with an illness might speak about their disabling condition, or a… Read More »
How to Use the SSA Blue Book
Whether you are applying for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits, it is important to learn more about the Blue Book and how to use it. If you have started to look into the process for seeking disability benefits through the Social Security Administration (SSA), which handles both… Read More »
Can I Get SSDI Benefits If I Have Military Benefits?
Disabling injuries and medical conditions can have a wide range of causes, and depending upon the person who is experiencing the disability, it may be possible to obtain Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits through the Social Security Administration (SSA) in addition to receiving other types of disability benefits. Depending upon the other types… Read More »
Compassionate Allowances Program Expanded
When you are diagnosed with a disabling medical condition and you begin the process of seeking benefits through the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program, you will normally need to wait a period of five months before you receive your initial SSDI payment. That five-month waiting period is standard, and it applies to SSDI… Read More »
Are SSDI Benefits Available for Spouses?
If you have a spouse who is eligible to receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) payments, you may be wondering if you are eligible to receive SSDI benefits, too, as a spouse. Since SSDI benefits are administered by the Social Security Administration (SSA), and many people know that Social Security benefits more broadly can… Read More »
How Do I Know Which Type of Bankruptcy Is Right for Me?
Anyone in the St. Petersburg area or throughout Southwest Florida who is considering personal bankruptcy likely has questions about the type of bankruptcy filing they should be considering. There are several different types of bankruptcy that are available to individuals, and it can be difficult to understand the specific requirements of each type of… Read More »
SSDI Delays
The waiting period for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits that are not sought through the Compassionate Allowances program are supposed to have a waiting period of five months (while applicants eligible for Compassionate Allowances are supposed to receive benefits sooner than that five-month waiting period). However, delays with SSDI benefits can happen —… Read More »
