Filing for Disability Benefits with Social Security
Many individuals who file for disability benefits with the Social Security Administration (SSA) mistakenly believe that if they have been diagnosed with a serious medical condition that prevents them from working and are currently under a doctor’s care for this condition, they will have little trouble being approved for social security disability (SSD) or supplemental security income (SSI). However, for most disability claimants, this is not the case, and as the reality of the disability approval process sinks in, the future can look pretty bleak, especially if they are facing the usual obligations: mortgage, car payment, credit card debt, etc.
The truth is, winning disability benefits from the SSA can feel more like a war of attrition that a simple applications process, due in some part to the fact that determinations within the state disability determination services (DDS) agencies tend to go against the claimant, regardless of his or her physical condition.
In fact, an average of 70 percent of disability applications are initially denied by SSD; yet, about half of these denials will later be overturned when they are appealed to a federal administrative law judge. These numbers indicate that a lot of truly disabled individuals can expect no financial relief from DDS, and will have to appeal their case not once, but twice before they see any disability benefits (if they ever do).
If you are filing for disability, there isn’t a lot you can do to affect the outcome of your case, but here is a short list of actions you can take to improve your chances of winning benefits, or at least help your case move through the system more quickly:
1. Turn in a complete work history. Do not expect that the state DDS examiner will do your work for you in this area—if you do not supply enough information, your application will most likely be rejected. Provide SSA with all names, phone numbers, locations, and e-mail addresses associated with past employment supervisors. Remember, you must demonstrate that your condition has caused you to lose your ability to earn a living wage; without a work history, DDS will have no way of determining what sorts of jobs you may or may not be able to perform in light of your disability.
2. Supply your disability examiner with a complete medical history, and keep him or her informed of any new developments in your medical treatment or the state of your mental or physical condition, including results of recent x-rays, MRIs, spirometry (pulmonary function), or psychiatric evaluations, etc. Again, be sure to provide correct names, addresses, and phone numbers for your treating physicians as well as the medical facilities at which you have received any form of treatment or testing. This may be a bit tedious, but it’s better to take extra time in this area if it means avoiding a lengthy wait on a decision in your case. Remember, without adequate documentation to demonstrate the nature of your medical condition, you will not receive disability benefits.
3. Be accommodating, and be on time. This is just basic courtesy in every area of life, but it is truly important when you are trying to win disability benefits. Remember, the average time it takes to receive a decision from SSA is about 3 to 4 months. If you are denied and you have to file an appeal, the average amount of time it takes to receive a decision on your appeal is, again, several months. If you then appeal again, this time to a federal administrative law judge, the wait to appear before the judge can take up to a year or more! Don’t let your case be one of those that languishes for months to years in the initial levels of consideration because you have failed to: a) provide additional information requested by DDS, b) appear for any additional medical tests requested by the disability examiner in your case, or c) return completed medical and work histories. Get your forms in, and get them in on time.
The wait for disability benefits is, for most, a long and frustrating one. There are backlogs of cases waiting to be decided in just about every disability system across the nation due to an increase in the number of SSD/SSI cases filed each year. When filing for disability benefits, do what you can to help your case move quickly through the system.
Return to:
Social Security Disability Secrets
Social Security Disability Requirements
Other Posts and Pages
How can I get disability
How to apply for disability - SSD and SSI
Social Security Award Letter
Qualifying for disability on the first application
Social Security Disability - Mental Impairment Qualifications
The truth is, winning disability benefits from the SSA can feel more like a war of attrition that a simple applications process, due in some part to the fact that determinations within the state disability determination services (DDS) agencies tend to go against the claimant, regardless of his or her physical condition.
In fact, an average of 70 percent of disability applications are initially denied by SSD; yet, about half of these denials will later be overturned when they are appealed to a federal administrative law judge. These numbers indicate that a lot of truly disabled individuals can expect no financial relief from DDS, and will have to appeal their case not once, but twice before they see any disability benefits (if they ever do).
If you are filing for disability, there isn’t a lot you can do to affect the outcome of your case, but here is a short list of actions you can take to improve your chances of winning benefits, or at least help your case move through the system more quickly:
1. Turn in a complete work history. Do not expect that the state DDS examiner will do your work for you in this area—if you do not supply enough information, your application will most likely be rejected. Provide SSA with all names, phone numbers, locations, and e-mail addresses associated with past employment supervisors. Remember, you must demonstrate that your condition has caused you to lose your ability to earn a living wage; without a work history, DDS will have no way of determining what sorts of jobs you may or may not be able to perform in light of your disability.
2. Supply your disability examiner with a complete medical history, and keep him or her informed of any new developments in your medical treatment or the state of your mental or physical condition, including results of recent x-rays, MRIs, spirometry (pulmonary function), or psychiatric evaluations, etc. Again, be sure to provide correct names, addresses, and phone numbers for your treating physicians as well as the medical facilities at which you have received any form of treatment or testing. This may be a bit tedious, but it’s better to take extra time in this area if it means avoiding a lengthy wait on a decision in your case. Remember, without adequate documentation to demonstrate the nature of your medical condition, you will not receive disability benefits.
3. Be accommodating, and be on time. This is just basic courtesy in every area of life, but it is truly important when you are trying to win disability benefits. Remember, the average time it takes to receive a decision from SSA is about 3 to 4 months. If you are denied and you have to file an appeal, the average amount of time it takes to receive a decision on your appeal is, again, several months. If you then appeal again, this time to a federal administrative law judge, the wait to appear before the judge can take up to a year or more! Don’t let your case be one of those that languishes for months to years in the initial levels of consideration because you have failed to: a) provide additional information requested by DDS, b) appear for any additional medical tests requested by the disability examiner in your case, or c) return completed medical and work histories. Get your forms in, and get them in on time.
The wait for disability benefits is, for most, a long and frustrating one. There are backlogs of cases waiting to be decided in just about every disability system across the nation due to an increase in the number of SSD/SSI cases filed each year. When filing for disability benefits, do what you can to help your case move quickly through the system.
Return to:
Other Posts and Pages
How can I get disability
How to apply for disability - SSD and SSI
Social Security Award Letter
Qualifying for disability on the first application
Social Security Disability - Mental Impairment Qualifications
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