Social Security Disability Benefits

Are you applying for SSD benefits for the first time? Consider the experienced social security disability lawyers at Good Law Group for your representation. Contact us online for a free case evaluationĀ or call (847) 577-4476.


Benefits You Receive When You Get Social Security Disability Insurance

There are 4 great SSDI benefits, and our video explains each one, hopefully in an easily-understandable way.

 

7 Things First Time Applicants For SSDI Benefits Should Know

Applying for Social Security disability benefits (SSDI) can be daunting. Not only is there an application to submit and medical documentation to collect, trying to understand the SSDI terminology can make you feel as though youā€™re reading a foreign language. All this while you worry about how you will support yourself and your family, now that your disability has made you unable to work. To help, weā€™ve created a list of the top seven things you should know before applying for SSDI benefits.

1. You can apply for benefits as soon as you become disabled.Ā Many people mistakenly believe they must wait 12 months from the date their disability began before applying for SSDI benefits. But you can actually apply for SSDI benefits as soon as you become disabled.

The confusion lies in the fact that SSDI benefits are only paid for total disability expected to last more than 12 months. As long as your medical documentation supports your disability lasting more than 12 months, you can apply once you are no longer able to engage in substantial gainful activity.

2. You need medical documentation of your disability.Ā Eligibility for SSDI benefits is based on your disability, so your application must include proof of disability. But you will need more than a doctorā€™s note stating, ā€œThe applicant is disabled.ā€ The Social Security Administration (SSA) has very specific criteria that covers not only the type and severity of injury or illness that qualifies as disability, but the specific type of medical documentation required to substantiate each of these disabling conditions as well.

3. You must have worked enough quarters to qualify for benefits.Ā Because SSDI is funded through the payment of Social Security taxes by employees, applicants must have worked a certain number of quarters, within a specified time period, in order to receive benefits. This is in addition to meeting the disability requirement. Known as the ā€œrecent workā€ and ā€œduration of workā€ tests, the number of quarters an applicant must have worked in order to be eligible for benefits depends on the applicantā€™s age at the time he became disabled and how long he had been employed on the date of disability.

4. There are no income or resource limits.Ā Eligibility for SSDI is based solely on an applicantā€™s disability and whether he has worked enough quarters. It is not based on the applicantā€™s income or resources falling below a certain limit; these limits apply only to the receipt of Supplemental Security Income (SSI).

5. Your application will most likely be denied. The most recent estimate is that 64% of individuals who apply for SSD benefits will beĀ denied during the initial review.Ā But a denial can be appealed, and the chance that your application will be approved actually increases, with 74% of all applications scheduled for a hearing being approved by the hearing officer.

6. You can increase your chances of approval by being prepared.Ā The SSA does not require that SSDI applicants have an interview with a disability examiner (the person who evaluates your claim). So the only information the disability examiner will have to go on when deciding whether to approve your application is the information you provide.

To increase the chance that your claim will be approved at the initial review, it is important to be prepared before submitting your application. This includes writing down all of the information regarding your medical history as it relates to your disability, including dates, provider names, medical procedures and tests performed, along with how the disability negatively impacts your activities of daily living (ADL) and job performance. You should also detail your work history for the past 15 years to help the SSA determine if you have worked enough quarters to qualify for SSDI benefits.

7. You can hire an attorney to assist you during any part of the process. There is no requirement that you hire an attorney to help you apply for SSDI benefits, or that you have legal representation during any phase of the appeal process. But your chances of approval greatly increase if you hire an experienced social security disability lawyer. An experienced SSDI attorney who focuses solely on SSDI claims understands the process and can make sure you provide the SSA with all the information necessary to substantiate your disability claim.

Most SSDI attorneys work on a contingency basis, which means that you donā€™t pay unless your claim is approved. Even then, the SSA limits the amount an SSDI attorney can recover to 25% of the applicantā€™s retroactive benefits, up to a maximum of $6,000.


More Information on SSDI

 

Applying for Social Security Disability Insurance
Denied for Social Security Disability Insurance
Do I Qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance?