Tuesday, February 28, 2023

How Social Security and Sharsheret Help Women With Cancer

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How Social Security and Sharsheret Help Women With Cancer

A cancer diagnosis can be scary and life changing. It often comes with decisions, uncertainties, and a lot of new information that can be confusing. Sharsheret helps women and families living with or at increased genetic risk for breast or ovarian cancer. Through personalized support and educational outreach, our programs are designed to support you through your cancer journey.

Often, the financial burden that comes with a cancer diagnosis is significant. Taking control of your economic security during and after a health crisis is a vital part of a woman’s cancer journey. Sharsheret’s Financial Wellness Toolkit provides information on all aspects of planning your future.

Sharsheret also offers the Best Face Forward 2.0 subsidies program which provides eligible individuals with services and financial help for non-medical services. These services include:

  • Wigs (cranial hair prostheses).
  • Cold caps (scalp cooling treatments).
  • Tattooing (three-dimensional micropigmentation of the nipple and areola).
  • Tattooing of the eyebrows (microblading).
  • Holistic services, such as meditation and yoga, are also included.


If cancer interferes with working, Social Security offers programs that may help. Disability claims involving certain cancers – including specific breast and ovarian cancers – qualify for expedited processing by Social Security under its Compassionate Allowances initiative. 

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Saturday, February 25, 2023

Social Security in retirement

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Social Security is Here When You’re Ready for Retirement

The Social Security Retirement benefit is a monthly check that replaces part of your income when you reduce your hours or stop working altogether. It may not replace all your income so it's best to identify other ways to pay for your monthly expenses as you age.


When you think you’re ready to retire, we’re here to help you make an informed decision about when to apply for benefits. You should decide based on your individual and family circumstances.

Would it be better for you to start getting benefits early with a smaller monthly amount over a longer period? Or perhaps wait for a larger monthly payment over less time? The answer is personal and depends on several factors, such as your current and anticipated cash needs, health, and your family history on longevity. Most importantly, you should study your future financial needs and obligations, and estimate your future Social Security benefit.

We encourage you to weigh all the factors carefully before deciding when to begin receiving Social Security benefits. This decision affects the monthly benefit amount you will receive for the rest of your life and may affect benefits for your survivors.


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Social Security Administration Publication No. 17-019 May 2022 Survivors Benefits for Same-Sex Partners and Spouses Produced and published at U.S. taxpayer expense

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Thursday, February 16, 2023

You and Your Family May Be Eligible for Increased Benefits

California Disability Advocates

Specializing in Social Security Disability Claims


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You and Your Family May Be Eligible for Increased Benefits

We know your circumstances may change after you apply—or become eligible—for benefits. If you, or a family member, receive Social Security or Supplemental Security Income (SSI), certain life changes could entitle you to an increase in your benefit amount.

As part of our Potential Entitlement initiative, we want to help you identify where you might qualify for a higher benefit. For example, you may be entitled to higher benefits based on your own earnings record or someone else’s record. Some of the life changes that could possibly increase your benefits include the following scenarios:

  • If your spouse or ex-spouse dies, you may be eligible for a higher survivor benefit based on his or her earnings record. The death of an ex-spouse may entitle you to a higher survivor benefit even if you are already receiving a survivor benefit on another spouse. Our publication, Survivors Benefits, has additional information we encourage you to check out.
  • If you are receiving Social Security benefits based on your spouse’s work and you have worked, you may be eligible for a higher retirement benefit based on your own work.
  • If your deceased adult child provided at least half of your support, you may be eligible for a higher parent’s benefit based on your child’s work history. Our publication, Parent’s Benefits, includes more information you may want to consider.

We continue to focus our Potential Entitlement initiative on people who face barriers to service. This includes our elderly population, children with disabilities, veterans, SSI recipients, and people with limited English proficiency. We are proud to say that since we started the initiative in 2017, our efforts have resulted in approximately $553 million in retroactive and total monthly increased benefits paid.


Our Office is comprised of the best disability representatives and experienced representatives, who are competent and compassionate.


We are well known and recognized for over 30 years for our diligence in

Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Irvine, Orange County, San Diego,

San Fernando Valley, Ventura, Santa Barbara, Riverside, San Bernardino areas and throughout the state of California.


Having handled thousands of successful Social Security disability cases, our office is well aware of the complications of filing and appealing claims.


We understand that one primary consideration why people who are in dire need of disability benefits hesitate to seek help is because of the high costs. Consistent with our desire to help people who are qualified to receive disability benefits, we offer 

Free Case Evaluation

so that we can immediately inform you of your rights and help you properly decide on how to go about claiming your disability benefits. 


We only get paid if we win your case!


We can sign you up over the phone, by email, fax and even text.


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Thursday, February 9, 2023

Survivors Benefits for Same-Sex Partners and Spouses

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Benefits for Same-Sex Couples

Survivors Benefits for Same-Sex Partners and Spouses

Marital status is important in determining entitlement to retirement, survivors, Medicare, and disability benefits. Social Security pays survivors benefits to the surviving spouse and some dependents of a deceased worker. A surviving spouse could be entitled to benefits or a higher benefit amount based on a marital relationship. Survivors benefits are monthly payments paid to dependents of a worker. To learn more about survivors benefits for other dependents (e.g., unmarried children, disabled adult children, dependent parents), please visit Benefits for Children. A surviving partner’s eligibility for survivors benefits is typically based on how long the worker was employed, the surviving partner’s current marital status, and how long

the worker and partner were married. With some exceptions, qualifying survivors typically must have been married to the deceased worker for at least 9 months and have not remarried before the age of 60 (50 if disabled). However, because of unconstitutional state laws, many same-sex

couples could not marry and thus were not eligible

for survivors benefits.


Under an agreement for Ely v. Saul and Thornton

v. Commissioner of Social Security, more same- sex partners may qualify for survivors benefits. You can file a new claim or if you were previously denied survivors benefits because you did not meet the marriage requirement due to unconstitutional state laws, you can ask us to reopen, or take another look at, your claim. This is the case even if you did not file an appeal at that time. If you were previously denied benefits and we find that you qualify for benefits under the Ely or Thornton decision, you may be due retroactive benefits. 

Ely v. Saul

We will consider whether a same-sex couple was prevented from being married for at least nine months by unconstitutional laws barring same-sex marriage.


Thornton v. Commissioner of Social Security

We will consider whether a same-sex couple was prevented from marrying by unconstitutional laws barring same-sex marriage.  


Who does this affect?

These decisions apply to people who have not applied for benefits and to people who have already applied. These decisions also apply to those who were previously denied survivors benefits because they were not married for at least nine months or did not meet the marriage requirement because of unconstitutional laws.


How will Social Security determine if a surviving spouse and the deceased spouse were prevented from being married for at least nine months


by unconstitutional laws barring same-sex marriage?

We will consider all available evidence of the circumstances that resulted in the couple being married for less than nine months when the spouse died. Here are some questions we may ask of a surviving spouse in making the determination:

    Did the law of the state where the ceremonial marriage occurred prohibit same-sex marriages until less than nine months before your deceased spouse’s death?

    If you had a ceremonial marriage in a state other than your state of domicile, did the state of domicile allow for same-sex marriage before the state where the ceremonial marriage occurred?

    Would you have been married to your deceased spouse for at least nine months if a state law did not prohibit same-sex marriage?


   If you could have met the nine-month duration requirement based on the date same-sex marriages were permitted in the state where you married, what were your reasons for not marrying earlier?

   Was there a waiting period for marriage licenses when you and the deceased applied for a marriage license?

   Did you live together? If yes, how long did you live together?

   Did you own property together?

   Did you inherit from the deceased based

on a will?

• Did the deceased spouse name you as a beneficiary for life insurance or retirement benefits?

   Was there any commitment ceremony or other attempt to have the relationship formally recognized prior to the legalization of same-sex marriage?

   Did you have children together or did you raise any children together from prior relationships?

   Is there any other available evidence regarding when you would have married had state law permitted you to marry earlier?


How will Social Security determine if a surviving partner of a same-sex relationship was prevented from being married by unconstitutional laws barring same-sex marriage?


We will consider all available evidence of the circumstances that resulted in the couple not being married when their partner died. Here are some questions we may ask of a surviving partner in making the determination:

   Would you have married if you were not prohibited from doing so?

   What date would you have married if you were not prohibited from doing so?

   How long were you together as a couple?

   Did you live together? If yes, how long did you live together?


    Did you own property together?

    Did you inherit from your partner based on a will?

    Did your partner name you as a beneficiary for life insurance or retirement benefits?

    Was there any commitment ceremony or other attempt to have your relationship formally recognized?

    Did you have children together or did you raise any children together from prior  relationships?

    Did you share joint responsibility to care for

one another?

    Did you choose not to marry prior to the death of your partner for reasons other than a state law prohibition on same-sex marriages?

    Would you have been otherwise eligible to marry if the law had not barred same-sex couples from marriage?


How can I apply for survivors benefits?

The application to file for survivors benefits is not available online. If you think you may be entitled to survivors benefits, we encourage you to contact us right away.


310-445-3322

or visit our website at

www.cdaoffices.com

for a free consultation.


Social Security Administration Publication No. 17-019 May 2022 Survivors Benefits for Same-Sex Partners and Spouses Produced and published at U.S. taxpayer expense

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Saturday, February 4, 2023

What you will need when you apply for child’s benefits

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Benefits for Children

Each month during 2021, we paid an average of $2.8 billion in benefits to 4 million children whose parents (one or both) were retired, deceased, or were disabled. These benefits provide necessities for eligible family members and help make it possible for those children to complete school. When a parent develops a disability or dies, Social Security benefits help stabilize the family’s financial future.


NOTE: Children with disabilities whose parents have little income or resources may be eligible for Supplemental Security Income benefits.


Who can get child’s benefits?


To get benefits, a child must have either:

   A parent who is retired or has a disability and is entitled to Social Security benefits.

   A parent who died after having worked long enough in a job where they paid Social Security taxes.

Your unmarried child can get benefits if they are:

   Younger than age 18.

   Between ages 18 and 19 and a full-time student at an elementary or secondary school (grade 12 or below).

   Age 18 or older with a disability that began before age 22.

Under certain circumstances, we can also pay benefits to a stepchild, grandchild, step- grandchild, or adopted child.


What you will need when you apply for child’s benefits


When you apply for benefits for your child, you’ll need the child’s birth certificate or other proof of birth or adoption. You’ll also need the parent’s and child’s Social Security numbers. Depending on the type of benefit involved, other documents may be required.

For example, if you’re applying for survivors benefits for the child, you’ll need to provide proof of the parent’s death. If you’re applying for benefits for a child with a disability, you’ll need to provide medical evidence to prove the child’s disability. The Social Security representative helping with your application will tell you what other documents you may need.

 

Benefits can continue at age 18

Benefits stop when your child reaches age 18 unless that child is a student or has a disability.


If your child is a student

Three months before your child’s 18th birthday, we’ll send a notice to you letting you know

that benefits will end when your child turns 18. Benefits don’t end if your child is a full-time student at an elementary or secondary school (grade 12 or below). If your child is younger than age 19 and still attending an elementary or secondary school, it is important to follow the instructions in the notice so benefits continue. They must complete a statement of attendance certified by a school official. The benefits will usually continue until your child graduates

or until two months after they reach age 19, whichever comes first.


If your child has a disability

Childhood disability benefits are payable beyond age 18 if the disability began before age 22.


If you take care of a child

If you are receiving benefits because you have a child in your care, the date your benefits stop may be different than your child’s.

If the child does not have a disability, your benefits will stop when they turn 16.

If the child has a qualifying disability, your benefits can continue if you exercise parental control and responsibility for your child. Your benefits can also continue if you perform personal services for a child who has a physical disability. Before the child reaches age 16, we will send you a notice describing the conditions under which your benefits can continue.

 

How much can a family get?

Within a family, a child can receive up to half of the parent’s full retirement or disability benefits.

If a child receives survivors benefits, they can get up to 75% of the deceased parent’s basic Social Security benefit.

There is a limit, however, to the amount of money we can pay to a family. The maximum family payment is determined as part of every Social Security benefit computation.

It can be from 150% to 180% of the parent’s full benefit amount. If the total amount payable to all family members exceeds this limit, we reduce each person’s benefit proportionately until the total equals the maximum allowable amount. We do not reduce the parent’s benefit amount because it’s not part of the maximum allowable amount.


If you need to speak with someone, call us 

310-445-3322

or visit our website at

www.cdaoffices.com

for a free consultation.

Visit our Website

Social Security Administration Publication No. 05-10085 June 2022 (Recycle prior editions) Benefits for Children Produced and published at U.S. taxpayer expense

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