The Question of Who Qualifies for Disability Benefits
From my own perspective (a former disability-medicaid caseworker and a former disability claims examiner for the social security administration), I don't find it surprising in the least that individuals who file for disability are unsure as to who qualifies for disability. After all, its become something of a mantra that 1) no one is approved for disability on the first application, 2) good disability cases are denied and 3) people who probably shouldn't be awarded disability benefits are routinely approved.
Are these "myths" correct? Well, in actuality, about three out of ten applicants for social security disability or SSI disability benefits actually are approved, so the first part of that mantra is not correct (Of course, the flip-side to that equation is that seventy percent of all cases are initially denied, which is a horrendous statistic). Regarding the second part, there is no doubt that good cases are denied. As a disability examiner, I routinely saw solid disability claims get denied by agency supervisors who were obviously intent on controlling the number of approvals made by their subordinates (sad, but true, this really happens in the state agencies that render medical determinations for the social security administration). In fact, as I've said for quite some time, the mere fact that so many claimant who are denied at the disability claim and reconsideration levels are are later approved at disability hearings substantiates the notion that the social security disability system is a little rotten at the core. Regarding the third part, I can't really say that, as an examiner, I saw "bad cases" getting approved. In fact, it was usually quite the opposite.
At the hearing level, however, that may be a bit different, and many disability representatives will be quite frank in admitting that when it comes to the differences in decisions made by one group of administrative law judges (within a single hearing office), there sometimes seems to be little rhyme nor reason. To some extent, however, that may also be a factor of subjectivity. Because the truth is, ten different individuals reading the same set of medical records may potentially come to ten different conclusions. Decision-making within the SSD and SSI programs is simply not as objective as the social security administration would have us believe; rather, instead, the process is quite subjective.
Now, back to the point with which I began before I wandered so far off-topic: who qualifies for disability benefits? Basically, anyone whose medical records shows that their condition is severe enough to A) make it impossible for them to perform their past work and B) make it impossible for them to engage in other work (as determined by their work skills, education, age, and physical and mental limitations), in effect, qualifies for disability. This is, of course, a simplified way of explaining how disability determinations are made. But to a large extent, the system actually is simple. From a claimant's perspective, it seems incomprehensible due to the fact that relatively little effort is expended by the social security administration to A) keep claimants informed as to the status of a disability case and B) advise them more thoroughly regarding the proper completion of paperwork and the timely filing of paperwork (such as for the submission of appeals).
Return to the homepage for:
Social Security Disability Secrets
Additional pages at Disability Secrets:
Am I disabled enough to qualify for disability?
Medical conditions that qualify for disability
Requirements to qualify for disability
Social Security Disability Criteria
Does my condition qualify for disability?
What conditions qualify you for SSI disability
Are these "myths" correct? Well, in actuality, about three out of ten applicants for social security disability or SSI disability benefits actually are approved, so the first part of that mantra is not correct (Of course, the flip-side to that equation is that seventy percent of all cases are initially denied, which is a horrendous statistic). Regarding the second part, there is no doubt that good cases are denied. As a disability examiner, I routinely saw solid disability claims get denied by agency supervisors who were obviously intent on controlling the number of approvals made by their subordinates (sad, but true, this really happens in the state agencies that render medical determinations for the social security administration). In fact, as I've said for quite some time, the mere fact that so many claimant who are denied at the disability claim and reconsideration levels are are later approved at disability hearings substantiates the notion that the social security disability system is a little rotten at the core. Regarding the third part, I can't really say that, as an examiner, I saw "bad cases" getting approved. In fact, it was usually quite the opposite.
At the hearing level, however, that may be a bit different, and many disability representatives will be quite frank in admitting that when it comes to the differences in decisions made by one group of administrative law judges (within a single hearing office), there sometimes seems to be little rhyme nor reason. To some extent, however, that may also be a factor of subjectivity. Because the truth is, ten different individuals reading the same set of medical records may potentially come to ten different conclusions. Decision-making within the SSD and SSI programs is simply not as objective as the social security administration would have us believe; rather, instead, the process is quite subjective.
Now, back to the point with which I began before I wandered so far off-topic: who qualifies for disability benefits? Basically, anyone whose medical records shows that their condition is severe enough to A) make it impossible for them to perform their past work and B) make it impossible for them to engage in other work (as determined by their work skills, education, age, and physical and mental limitations), in effect, qualifies for disability. This is, of course, a simplified way of explaining how disability determinations are made. But to a large extent, the system actually is simple. From a claimant's perspective, it seems incomprehensible due to the fact that relatively little effort is expended by the social security administration to A) keep claimants informed as to the status of a disability case and B) advise them more thoroughly regarding the proper completion of paperwork and the timely filing of paperwork (such as for the submission of appeals).
Return to the homepage for:
Social Security Disability Secrets
Additional pages at Disability Secrets:
Am I disabled enough to qualify for disability?
Medical conditions that qualify for disability
Requirements to qualify for disability
Social Security Disability Criteria
Does my condition qualify for disability?
What conditions qualify you for SSI disability
