Do you have a medical condition which interferes with your ability to work? You could be eligible to receive Social Security Disability benefits (SSDI).
Before you file, you should understand filing for Social Security disability can be a long and complicated process.
But, there are actions you can take that could increase your chances of getting approved for benefits.
Get Your Information Organized before Applying
Before you fill out your Social Security disability application, gather the information you will need to fill it out.
The disability application requires your basic personal information such as:
- your birthday
- Social Security number
- marital status
- names and birth dates of your dependents
You also need to give detailed information about your medical history, educational background, and job history for the last 15 years.
Getting this information organized could ensure you do not make mistakes filling out the application.
Get Your Medical Records Yourself
As noted above, your medical history plays an important part in your approval for disability benefits. When you fill out the application, you will provide the Social Security Administration (SSA) with the names and contact information of your medical providers and the dates of any major treatments you received, such as surgery.
You can list this information on your application and the SSA will use it to try contacting the doctors and medical facilities for your medical records. However, leaving this task up to the SSA disability examiner could cause problems.
Doctors’ offices and hospitals are often busy and may not send the disability examiner the needed information in time. The SSA does not have the manpower to keep contacting every medical provider to get your records on time. Plus, a medical provider could make a mistake and not send your medical information. The disability examiner would not know because they do not know your medical history like you do.
Sending your medical records with your application could avoid these mistakes.
Get Your Doctor to Tell How Your Disability Affects Your Work Capability
The SSA wants to know your medical history, but they are more interested in knowing how your disability interferes with your ability to work.
Standard medical records do not give details on your ability to work. So, you will need to ask your medical provider to write a medical source statement. The statement needs to give specific details of how your medical condition affects your ability to do basic work activities such as:
- sitting
- standing
- walking
- reaching and grasping
- pulling or pushing
- lifting or carrying
- simple cognitive reasoning
This information could help the disability examiner make a completely informed decision on your claim. It could speed up the process and increase your chances of getting approved.
Get the Help of a Social Security Disability Attorney
Taking the actions above can seem overwhelming. Not completing the disability application correctly or failing to make sure the SSA has the necessary medical documents could cause you to get denied disability benefits.
Fortunately, you do not have to go through the complicated process alone. Getting the help of a Social Security disability lawyer could make all the difference in your claim for disability benefits. The SSA’s statistics show that applicants who have the help of a disability lawyer increase their chances of getting approved.
Brock & Stout’s disability attorneys have over 20 years of experience helping clients successfully apply for disability benefits. If you want to apply for disability benefits or need help to appeal a benefit denial, we want to help you get the benefits you need. Contact us for a free evaluation and let our family help your family.