8 Things You Can Do to Make a Stronger Social Security Disability Claim
The most important thing to understand about winning Social Security Disability benefits is that you can’t just tell Social Security your health is bad and you can’t work.
You have to prove it.
You have to prove that you can’t work in your last job, you can’t switch to another job, and you’re not going to get better for at least a year.
To prove it, do these eight things:
- Fill out your application completely: Don’t skip over something that’s hard to answer. Someone at Social Security may question what you’re leaving out.
- Avoid mistakes in the information you send: If Social Security finds an error later, it can hurt your chances of winning benefits.
- Get regular medical care for the ailments that stop you from working. This is a key part. If you’re not getting regular treatment, Social Security might not believe your condition is serious enough for benefits.
- Provide strong medical evidence: When you’re getting regular care, you can give Social Security reports from doctor visits and medical tests, so they can see how serious your impairments are. You need this to win benefits.
- Provide detailed work history. People who evaluate your claim will compare your medical condition to the physical and mental requirements of your work to decide whether you should get benefits. Make sure they can clearly see everything your job demanded of you.
- Make sure you’re not working much. If you continue to work, you may be disqualified from receiving benefits. You can work small amounts and still get benefits, but be careful.
- Meet all the deadlines. When you’re denied benefits, you have 60 days to start an appeal. Don’t miss that window.
- Work with an advocate. By making sure all of the above is covered, an experienced disability advocate can reduce your burden and give you the best shot at being approved.
The team of disability advocates at Hanley Disability can take a look at your situation and let you know where you stand, FOR FREE.
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Does My Health Problem Allow Me to Get Disability Benefits?
The most important fact about the medical condition you list when you apply for disability benefits is that it must be severe enough to stop you from working.
You can qualify for disability with many different impairments. But the types of medical evidence you submit and how you argue you can’t work are different with different ailments.
We’ve gathered guides to just a few of the common illnesses that can make a strong claim for disability benefits:
- Anxiety
- Bi-polar
- Cancer
- Chronic fatigue
- Cystic fibrosis
- Diabetes
- Fibromyalgia
- Heart disease
- Liver disease
- Lupus
- Multiple sclerosis
- Rheumatoid arthritis
The disability advocates at Hanley Disability know what information you need for a successful disability claim—no matter what type of physical or mental health problem is forcing you off work.
Contact Us Now!What Do I Need if I’m Going to a Social Security Disability Hearing?
When you’ve been denied disability benefits, and you’re going to a hearing with an administrative law judge (ALJ), the process gets much more complicated than applying for disability benefits in the first place.
You need a whole new approach, including:
- Gathering fresh evidence from your doctors and medical providers
- Setting a strategy for your arguments to the judge
- Preparing to testify
- Preparing to question experts (like medical or vocational experts) who testify about you
- Preparing to take your appeal to higher levels if needed
At this step, having a professional disability advocate helps even more.
In fact, one government study found that people with representatives at their hearings were almost three times more likely to be awarded benefits.
If you work with someone who’s been through this process many times, it’s easier on you, and you’re more likely to win Social Security Disability benefits.
At Hanley Disability, Social Security Disability is all we do. Give us a call.