Many people that are eligible for Social Security benefits wait several months or years before applying for benefits. Some people wait because they are unsure if they will qualify, others wait because they think that they will recover, and will not need to rely on Disability Benefits. Whatever your reason is for choosing to wait to submit your Social Security Disability application, stop waiting and start applying!
Once it is determined that you are eligible for benefits, you will be paid for all of the time that you have been waiting to receive benefits, starting from the day that you submitted your initial application. This means that wasting time in applying for your benefits is literally wasting money. Though it can take a long while to work through the entire application process, you will be able to benefit from all of the time that you were patiently waiting when you receive your back payment.
An advocacy group or law firm that specializes in assisting people to apply for disability benefits would be more than happy to review your situation and give you an idea of if you would qualify for benefits. This consultation should only take about an hour of your time and will give you a good idea of whether or not you should pursue the process. Advocacy groups and law firms that assist people in applying for Social Security disability benefits only receive payment if you qualify for benefits and receive a payment. Therefore, it is in their best interest to ensure that they are giving you wise, honest advice regarding your current situation and the likelihood that you would be eligible for benefits from the Social Security Administration.
If you choose to utilize the assistance of a legal counselor when applying for your benefits, be certain that you seek out a group or firm that works with people that are applying for Social Security Disability for the first time. Some advocacy groups and law firms only work with people that have applied and been denied. You will want to avoid these types of legal assistants, because you want to apply right away for Social Security Disability benefits. It makes no sense to apply on your own for benefits and take an elevated risk at being denied for benefits after a long, drawn out application process. Instead, stick with advocacy groups and law firms that work with people applying for the first time so that you can get started on the application process right away.
Once you have been receiving Social Security Disability benefits for 24 consecutive months, you will become eligible for Medicare. The 24 months must be time that you are actually receiving benefits, not waiting to be approved. This is yet another reason to apply right away as opposed to waiting until a later date to apply. The sooner that your Social Security Disability benefits are approved, the sooner that you can apply for Medicare and receive adequate medical care in addition to monetary assistance.