Montville — A local man was recently awarded more than 25 years worth of disability benefits, retroactive to the Reagan era.

Uncasville resident Robert Kram, 64, could receive about $150,000 in benefits dating back to December 1982, according to his lawyer, Thomas Albin.

“So many years have gone by,” Albin said. “He’s been denied benefits that he was entitled to all along.”

Kram was granted Social Security disability benefits in July 1970, when he was 27 years old, based on chronic schizophrenia that was diagnosed and well-documented, according to Albin. Kram was paid monthly disability checks until the Social Security Administration, pursuant to a policy initiated by President Reagan, determined in December 1981 that Kram had made significant medical improvement.
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From the Ohio beacon-Journal:

Social Security retirement is for those 62 or older, and at least 10 years of work are needed to be eligible. Survivor, disability programs an exception to this rule.

Q: When is a person considered “covered” by the Social Security program? According to the pamphlets I’ve read, a person needs at least 10 years of work to get benefits. Does that mean if someone goes to work at 18, they would not be covered by Social Security until they are 28 years old? — V.B., Twinsburg

A: A person needs at least 10 years of work (40 credits) to be eligible for Social Security retirement and the benefit can not begin before age 62. But that 10-year or 40-credit rule doesn’t apply to the survivor or disability programs.

When a young person starts working and paying into Social Security, they begin accumulating Social Security credits on their account. Within a very short time, the worker is “covered” for disability and survivor benefits. See article here:

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A bill has been proposed that would allow a terminally ill person to collect Social Security disability benefits without the current 5 month waiting period. Full story here:

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From the Journal & Courier, West Lafayette, Indiana:
Social Security announced on May 25 that it will expedite payment of survivors and disability applications for our military service members and their qualified family members.

The Commissioner of the Social Security Administration (SSA), Michael J. Astrue, announced that Social Security wants active duty personnel and their families to know that procedures are now in place to expedite survivors applications and disability claims that apply to any injured military service member, no matter where the injury occurred. It applies to people injured after 2001. See Full Article here:

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From the North-East Ohio News Herald comes this careful explanation of the way Social Security determines disability based on chronic fatigue syndrome. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that chronic fatigue syndrome causes $9.1 billion in lost productivity every year, not including medical costs and disability benefits…In April 1999, the Social Security Administration declared that pain and fatigue illnesses “are medically determinable conditions” that require four or more of a specified list of symptoms to be eligible for benefits. Full story here:

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