Losing your ability to work can be extremely stressful and leaves many important factors up in the air. Families are often left wondering how they are going to keep a roof over their heads and eat.
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is one program that can provide some comfort to those who are unable to work. The regular payments that it offers provide a steady income, meaning that vital bills and living costs can be met. However, applications for SSDI are notoriously tricky and many are rejected at the first instance.
Fortunately, there are some steps that you can take to make your application more compelling, and these are outlined below.
Be meticulous
It may sound obvious, but being as accurate as possible with your application is pivotal to a favorable outcome. This might seem easy at first, but in practice, it can be problematic. You need to have all of your personal information close to hand and you must be ready to answer any questions about your health condition. This includes any medical treatment that you have had or are currently undergoing.
It is not enough simply to offer a personal account of your experience, you need to have backing in the form of documentation. This means that you must gather personal documents such as birth certificates, marriage documents, info on residential status as well as any medical records and evidence of your treatment. This can be too much to remember offhand, so many people find it useful to produce a checklist and keep everything up to date.
Follow your doctor’s plan
SSDI is intended only to be used by those who truly need it. If your condition is one that can be recovered from, then you need to show that you are doing everything to facilitate this process, which means sticking fully to the recommendations of your physician.
Being unable to work due to ill health can be frustrating and SSDI can offer some comfort. As you initiate your application, be sure to first explore your legal rights in depth.