Social Security Disability Insurance Benefits (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) are two programs of the Social Security Administration (SSA) available for persons who have medical disabilities which prevent them from working.
The disability can be a physical one or mental one or a combination of both, but it must be expected to last at least one year or be terminal.
Many who apply for Social Security disability benefits from the federal government are denied upon initial application and reconsideration appeals.
Here are 9 steps, in brief, that you can take that might assist you with getting more comfortable with the disability determination process, and might assist you in getting a faster, more accurate decision on your SSDI or SSI claim application.
1. Prepare yourself mentally for dealing with a governmental bureaucracy. Realize that the average wait time for a decision on your claim is 90 days. That means your claim could take even more time than that. Try not to think about the possibility that your claim might be denied because that only dissipates energy. Instead use the law of attraction to focus on seeing your first check coming through the mail or visualize seeing the amount listed on your bank statement.
2. When you describe your illness, focus on using words and phrases related to how you are no longer able to "function" on your old job. For instance, someone who used to be employed as a hotel maid might write:
"My job as a hotel maid involved being able to stand on my feet for 6-8 hours each day. I had to lift 15-20 lbs on a regular basis and had to sometimes move beds and other furniture weighing 50 lbs or more when it was out of place. Given my current heart disease and resultant bi-pass surgery, my doctor has advised me to lift no more than 5 to 10 lbs occasionally and says I should not return to this job."
You will note only a brief mention of the actual medical condition in the above description. Why? Because claims examiners only register your functional limitations, as your medical records will prove or disprove the rest.
3. You should periodically check the status of your disability claim. To do this you should contact your state Disability Determination Service or Disability Adjudication Services office approximately 30 days after they receive your claim. At that point, try to find out if all your medical records have been received by the examiner, and offer to assist in getting them if they have not. Other times to check the status of your claim are included in a great online article. (Please see below).
4. If your medical condition is a severe one, ask your claims examiner if you might qualify for expedited benefits while you await a decision on your claim. SSA offers a "Presumptive Disability" (PD) program available to claimants who apply for SSI or a combination of SSI and SSDI. Singular Social Security Disability Insurance claims are not eligible. To get these expedited benefit payments, your examiner must feel strongly, in advance, that your claim will be approved once all your medical information has been gathered. Even if your claim is later denied after all your medical records are received, you will not have to repay any monies your received under the PD program. Benefits are payable for up to 6 months while your disability claim is being processed.