Application and Appeals: Successfully Navigating the Social Security Disability Process
With the spread of the Internet to virtually every home, it has never been easier for Americans to apply for Social Security Disability Insurance benefits. The monthly Social Security Disability checks make an enormous difference in the quality of life for nearly 8 million recipients.
Starting the Process
The first step in the process of applying for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits is to visit the Social Security Administration website. There you'll find a checklist of information you'll need to fill out the online application form.
The information includes:
- W-2 form for last year
- Social Security Numbers for you and your family
- Checking or savings account number for the account where you want checks deposited
- Military discharge information
- Contact information for someone familiar with your condition and willing to help with your claim
- Contact information for doctors, hospitals and clinics you've used
- Names of medications; names of physicians who prescribed them
- Names and dates of medical tests; names of physicians who ordered them
- Descriptions of jobs and employment dates for your five most recent jobs
- Information about insurance claims filed
Take this information and fill out the form, being as complete and precise as possible about your medical and work histories, as well as a form releasing your medical records to the Social Security Administration.
Once the form has been completed, the Social Security Administration will likely contact you, as well as others (including doctors, hospitals and employers) mentioned in your application. This initial application process typically takes three to five months to come to completion.
Appealing a Rejection
For a significant portion of applicants, their SSDI applications are rejected and their claims denied. Some fill out forms improperly, some are simply not qualified to receive Social Security Disability benefits, and others are simply unaware of how best to frame their situation to the people assessing the applications.
Applicants who are denied benefits may appeal their denial for a reconsideration (a new look at your application by someone at the Social Security Administration who didn't participate in the initial review of your application). If this reconsideration results in a denial, you may appeal before an administrative law judge at a hearing. There can also be appeals to an appeals council and even a federal court review.
It's widely considered prudent to have legal representation at reconsideration and certainly before the administrative law judge, as well as any appeals beyond that level.
You will be asked to present witnesses and evidence at the administrative hearing and you will have the opportunity to ask questions of witnesses.
If you have questions about the applications or appeals process, contact a New York Social Security Disability attorney. An SSDI lawyer guides you through the process, helping you to professionally present your case to the Social Security Administration for the benefits you need.
At Schwartzapfel Partners P.C., our knowledgeable and dedicated team of lawyers and professionals are here to help you through the complex and confusing disability benefits process. We will work hard to get you the benefits and money you need and deserve. Call us today at 888-801-1914 to schedule your free claim evaluation.
