What You Should Know About Social Security Disability Benefits
Claiming social security disability benefits is not as easy as it may seem. According to the Social Security Administration (SSA), at least 60% of individuals who file a claim for SSD benefits are denied, even if they appeal. However, with a good attorney, you can increase your chances of winning. The process is very complicated and takes plenty of time, sometimes up to a year or more.
There are several requirements that must be met when filing a claim for Social Security benefits.
1. You must prove that you have a condition that will prevent you from working for at least a year or have a condition that can result to death.
2. You must meet the earnings requirement.
3. The SSA expects you to meet two conditions which are:
- Recent work test which focuses on your age at the time you succumbed to disability
- Duration of work test to prove that you worked for a long time under Social Security
4. Medical records from your hospital, clinic or doctor.
5. Names, phone numbers and addresses of the doctors that have treated you plus records of your visitation dates.
6. A documented summary of where you have been working and the type of work you have been doing.
7. A copy of your recent wage and tax statement (W-2 Form). If you are your own employer, a statement of your federal tax return should do.
8. You must have a valid Social Security number.
9. Names of the medications you have been using.
You must apply for disability benefits as soon as possible after you become disabled because the approval process can take a lot of time. The reason you need to hire a disability lawyer is because he can help you avoid mistakes that usually deny people disability benefits. In addition, he can help you push for an appeal if you are not satisfied with the results.
He also has the ability of pushing your case further to the Federal Court if the appeal fails to go through. A good attorney will also prepare you mentally. He will prep you on the kind of questions to expect and the way to respond. You can find a good disability attorney through law firms such as Nash Disability Law of Thomas Nash.
