How To Prevent Your Chances of Being Denied
The First Time You Apply
We have all heard the comment that no one gets Social Security Disability Benefits the first time around; that people are denied first and need to seek the assistance of a lawyer to get their case approved. How wrong we are! With a little more knowledge as to how the process works, a truly disabled person can get approved the first time.
Most denials are given due to the applicant not understanding how to provide Social Security with all of the information they need to determine their claim of disablement. Denials can also result from doctors who do not document the symptoms and the severity of those symptoms well enough in their patient’s medical records. So how can a person ensure their disability claim will not get denied the first time they apply?
The first thing a disabled person needs to know is the Social Security Administration is not trying to find every way possible to deny a person their benefits. In fact, Social Security does not even make the decisions as to whether or not a person is disabled; rather, that is the job of a third party Evaluation Team - their state’s Determinations Office.
To get approved for disability benefits with the least amount of hassle and time, an applicant would first need to understand what the definition of disability is and prove how their medical condition meets the requirements of this definition:
“A disabled adult is defined as an individual age 18 or older who is unable to engage in any substantial gainful activity
by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment which can be expected to result in death or
which has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months.”
Sometimes, this definition can be hard to meet…especially if a person has just had an accident and the doctors are unsure if their patient will be unable to recover satisfactorily in a 12 month timeframe. Many people resort to applying for disability benefits because they have limited knowledge of what the program is actually designed for. The Social Security program is not a program for people who are disabled for the “short term” even though they may be facing great financial difficulties. This program was designed for people who will be disabled for at least 12 months are more.
If a person’s medical condition meets the above definition of disablement, then he/she should consider filing an application for Social Security benefits. A good understanding of the application process is needed to ensure that benefits are approved the first time the applicant applies:
More information on how to apply for Social Security Disability Benefits can be found on the internet: http://www.disabilitysecrets.com ; www.ultimatedisabilityguide.com/get_ssdi_and_ssi.html or by calling
Associate Director for Individual and Family Assistance
985-876-0490
jgaudet@htdiocese.org