What You Might Hear in a Social Security Lawyer Consultation

Q: What should I do when Social Security says Ive received overpayment?
A: Any social security lawyer will tell you that, if the Social Security Administration determines that they have paid you more than they should, they will probably send you a Notice of Overpayment. This can happen for a variety of reasons, such as a failure to report a change in your lifestyle or status to the Social Security Administration. It can also happen when Social Security does not process your change in status quickly enough, and delays the change in your monthly check.
You may want to speak to a social security lawyer about your options, but in general, there are three different things you can do when you receive a notice of overpayment. One of these is requesting a reconsideration when you think the SSA has made a mistake. This means you will request that the SSA take another look at your case, and perhaps meet with you to speak with them (in which case you may want to speak with a social security lawyer).
Another option is to ask the SSA for a waiver. Requesting a waiver means that you admit that you were given overpayment, but you cant pay the SSA back. A social security lawyer or advocate will likely suggest this if the overpayment wasnt your fault. On the other hand, if you feel you were overpaid and it was at least partly your fault, you will generally work with the SSA to arrange to pay the money back. Social Security will generally allow you to make repayment in installations. Speak to a social security lawyer for details.
Q: I am considered to be legally blind. Can I get social security benefits?
A: If you speak to a social security lawyer, he or she will give you this simple answer: maybe. Those people who are legally blind qualify for social security disability under the same general rules as those with any other disability. You will be considered legally blind if your sight cannot be corrected to 20/200. Even those that do not fall under the category of legal blindness can receive some benefits. You may want to speak with a social security lawyer about qualifying as legally blind.
The SSA has special guidelines when working with legally blind applicants. Because blindness has such a huge effect on a persons ability to work, the blind are generally given a higher monthly earnings limit than other disabled persons. In 2008, the monthly earnings limit was $1,570. You may want to speak to a social security lawyer to understand how this affects you.
Q: Do I need to wait a year after the start of my disability to apply for benefits?
A: In short, no. Your social security lawyer will define an eligible disability as one that is either fatal, or has lasted or will last one year. You may take this to mean that you have to wait until you have been disabled a year to apply; but you should not. Any social security lawyer will tell you to apply for benefits from the first day of your disability.

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