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    • COLA: 3.2%Attorney User Fee: $117SSI Amounts: $943 for individuals and $1,415 for a couple/monthFICA wage base: $168,600Quarter of coverage amount: $1,730Substantial gainful activity amount (non-blind): $1,550/monthTrial work period threshold: $1,110/month

      5 days ago
    • As is often the case, the Social Security Administration is lagging behind the medical community. This time the so-called “long hauler” COVID patients are getting short shrift. SSA doesn’t recognize that COVID symptoms can last for a long time after the test results are negative and, perhaps permanently. Attorney Crawforth has represented several of these…

      a month+ ago

    News

    • Summer 2021 Newsletter STILL STANDING…AND PRACTICING I published the first issue of Social Security & You in Spring of 1993.  Some years I’ve published more issues than others.  The most recent issue was dated Spring 2019: over 2 years ago.  The world was a much different place then.  Especially for me.  Read the full newsletter…

      2+ years ago
    • Spring 2019 Newsletter An Opioid Story I’ve changed his name. Let’s call him Gerald. He was a laborer. And by that I don’t mean that he just did physical work. He was a card-carrying member the Labor’s Union local. And that meant a lot to him. I represented him for Social Security disability and Michigan…

      4+ years ago

    SOCIAL SECURITY JUDGE ISSUE CUTS BOTH WAYS

    The Wall Street Journal article from 5-19-11 regarding Huntington, West Virginia SS judge David B. Daugherty certainly caused quite a stir. In case you missed it, ALJ Daugherty had issued 729 decisions since the fiscal year began on October 1st. The average & target # is 40 per month, per judge.

    And the average award rate at the ODAR appeal level is about 60%. Judge Daugherty awarded benefits to all 729 Claimants.

    For me, it was reminiscent of several now deceased ALJs in the Detroit ODAR. There were several from the City of Detroit staff. They were of Irish heritage. They awarded benefits to just about every Claimant who was represented. The judge is an important variable. One of these judges once told me that he gave a lot of credibility to the testimony of the Claimant. He didn’t want the person who treated at the free clinic and didn’t have well-documented symptoms to suffer for it.

    For me, the issue is even clearer.

    If 60% is the average award rate by ALJs, (mine is closer to 90%) then 100% is better than 15%.

    Here in Michigan we have been both blessed & cursed with video (and sometimes in person) hearings with judges from Tulsa, Dallas, Stockton, CA, and other locales, plus the National Hearings Centers in Chicago and Washington D.C.

    The plus side is that we’ve had quicker hearings and the judges are, by and large, about the same as we would draw locally. But there are exceptions.

    Check out this Social Security link.

    http://www.socialsecurity.gov/appeals/DataSets/03_ALJ_Disposition_Data.html

    The statistics for every SS ALJ in the country is listed. The # of decisions, both open and closed awards, plus denials are listed.

    I’m not going to list them by name, but check out the stats for a couple of judges from the Dallas North ODAR. How about award rates of 14% & 5%! Or the judges from Dover & Richmond, who award benefits to 18% & 21%.

    No, paying 100% is better than those numbers when the average is 60%

    Call today if you have questions about the Michigan Social Security Disability Attorney and Lawyer Services provided by William Crawforth.

    To schedule an appointment call 800-864-1244 or fill out the contact form at the top of this page.

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    • Washtenaw County Bar Association
    • National Organization of Social Security Claimants' Representatives

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