When you file for Social Security Disability Insurance, you might assume approval is a foregone conclusion. Sadly that is not the case, and each year thousands of people are disappointed to find the Social Security Administration (SSA) turns them down.
Figures for 2020 show that the SSA denies most people initially. Only 39% got approval at the first attempt, 14% succeeded in their initial appeal and 49% at the hearing level.
Why is the chance of success so low?
The statistics are skewed for several reasons:
- Some apply without proper research to see if they meet the qualifying conditions.
- Some apply alone, without the legal understanding of what is required.
- Some apply without being prepared to do the work needed to gather enough evidence.
- Some apply on the off chance that their appeal slips through, even though they know they do not qualify.
- Some intentionally falsify facts in an attempt to scam the system.
Even if you think you have done enough, your approval still depends on humans sitting in the SSA office, and different people can interpret things differently.
Putting together a claim with a good chance of succeeding the first time around is complex and time-consuming. Yet it is better to do the work now than have to redo things because you did not do enough.
The longer approval takes, the more time you need to survive without the income you need. Getting legal help to handle your SSDI claim from the outset gives you the best chance of getting benefits as soon as possible.