“Navigating the Disability Benefit Process” interview with Philip Lewis PhD & J.D. on June 16th, 10AM pst.

“Navigating the Disability Benefit Process” interview with Philip Lewis PhD and J.D.on June 16th, 10AM pst. Call in to listen live at (347) 945-5152 or listen online at blogtalkradio.com/kindethics.

Are you recently disabled and need to begin to apply for benefits? Or are you in the middle of trying to receive benefits and are up against a road block? Philip Lewis can help. Philip S. Lewis has worked in the field of vocational rehabilitation since 1979, assessing and providing placement assistance to persons with disabilities. He has been representing persons with disabilities to pursue benefits from the Social Security Administration since 1994. As a professional in private practice, he has provided evaluation services in varied compensatory systems including Workers’ Compensation, Longshore and Harbor Workers, Long Term Disability, and Social Security. Following graduate training in industrial psychology at California State University Long Beach, he earned a Certificate in Human Resources Management from California Lutheran University , and a Ph.D. in forensic rehabilitation and industrial psychology, from the Union Institute Graduate School. He holds a juris doctor degree from the Ventura College of Law, and completed a certificate in Alternative Dispute Resolution at Pepperdine University, School of Law. He maintains board certification as a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor.

He has represented hundreds clients both before the Social Security Administration for initial claims, as well at the Office of Disability Adjudication and Review, for those clients appearing before an Administrative Law Judge. As a former Vocational Expert appearing under contract to the Office of Hearings and Appeals, he has a detailed working knowledge of the procedural and vocational issues raised at the Hearing level. In each case heard at the Office of Hearings and Appeals, a hearing brief is prepared, which outlines the background of the claimant, summarizes the medical conditions as they apply to the “listings of impairments”’ asserts all applicable rules and case law supporting of favorable decision and confirms that in a prevailing case, that an accurate accounting and payment of all past due benefits is effected.

The claimant seeking Social Security benefits based on a disability must be prepared to aggressively pursue this claim. The initial step is filing the claim for either disability insurance benefits and/or supplemental security income benefits. Ultimately, most claimants winning their claim must appear before an Administrative Law Judge and meet the administrative requirement of establishing a disability which precludes all work in the national economy.

Mr. Lewis will be discussing the process of applying for Social Security benefits, the rules of eligibility, program differences (SSI vs. SSDI) supporting medical coverage, benefit entitlement, burdens of proof and time frames, including appeals.

Philip can be reached at http://www.hearingrepresentative.com/ or at 805-642-6080.

Have a kind and respectful day.