You’re suffering from an injury or illness that is impacting your ability to work. This means that there is no money coming into the household, which can be gravely concerning.
There are a number of programs that can help provide some relief, including Social Security Disability (SSD) Benefits. However, the process of applying is not straightforward and a significant number of applications are rejected.
Applications can also be significantly delayed because of a lack of paper evidence regarding your condition. Outlined below are a few things that could help you to avoid unnecessary delays with your claim:
Evidence of your medical condition
Your application will center around the longevity and seriousness of your medical condition. Whether that is an illness, disability or physical injury, having the relevant paperwork to state your case is crucial.
While the Social Security Administration will request your medical records for you, you can push your claim through the process a little faster if you provide most of all of your records when you file. This includes medical notes of the initial diagnosis from a physician, the results of diagnostic tests, records of your physical therapy, surgical history and proof of other treatments that you’ve tried.
You also need to be responsive to SSA’s requests for additional information, whether that’s just more medical release forms or information about your past work history and current day-to-day limitations.
Help is out there
Being out of work through no fault of your own can be stressful, especially when you have a family and bills to pay. Help is available, but it’s important to take the right steps during your application. Having legal guidance behind you can help you get that application right the first time or deal with any obstacles that present themselves.