Indiana Injury Lawyer Blog

Many people do not know that obesity is not a listed impairment under the Social Security Regulations. At one time, weight and height were considered in combination to be a reason for disability. However, on August 24, 1999, obesity was deleted from listing 9.09.

Now, SSR02-1p sets out how obesity must still be addressed within the listings. SSA recognizes that obesity has potential affects in causing or contributing to impairments in the respiratory system.

Even though obesity was deleted from the listings, SSA recognizes that obesity is a medically determinable impairment that is often associated with disturbance of the respiratory system, and disturbance of this system can be a major cause of disability in individuals with obesity. The combined effects of obesity with respiratory impairments can be greater than the effects of each of the impairments considered separately. Therefore, those deciding whether disability should be granted must consider any additional and cumulative effects of obesity.

The Social Security Administration recently announced that monthly Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits for more than 60 million Americans will increase 3.6 percent in 2012.

The 3.6 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) will begin with benefits that nearly 55 million Social Security beneficiaries receive in January 2012. Increased payments to more than 8 million SSI beneficiaries will begin on December 30, 2011.

This increase is based on a cost of living adjustment or COLA. The specific formula for a COLA adjustment is based on the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers. The last COLA to effect Social Security benefits was in 2008.