10 Best Tips for Applying for Disability

The Social Security Administration (SSA) awards disability benefits to those who are unable to work due to their disability. But if you know just one thing about social security disability benefits, it’s probably that the application process is complex, long, and difficult.

How difficult? Only about one third of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) claims are approved via the initial application. And while many applicants who are initially denied are later successful on appeal, the process can drag on for months.

The good news there are some steps you may be able to take to increase your chances of a timely approval.

Since every case is unique, a disability lawyer is the best way to get tips for your specific situation. However, everyone can take advantage of these 10 tips to improve your application for social security disability benefits.

1. Make Sure You Qualify

If you don’t qualify for disability benefits, then your application will get denied. In order to meet Social Security eligibility requirements:

• You must have sufficient work history, and therefore have paid Social Security taxes, long enough to qualify for benefits. The SSA uses a system of “work credits.” Applicants must have 40 work credits, with 20 of them being earned in the last 10 years, in order to meet the technical qualifications for SSDI.
• You must have a qualifying disability that prevents you from working for at least 12 months, or is terminal. The SSA provides a list of medical conditions that are severe enough to prevent a person from working, also known as substantial gainful activity (SGA).

Please note that it is not just physical disabilities that qualify. You can receive disability benefits for mental illness.

2. Apply As Soon As You Qualify

It can take 3 to 5 months to process your initial social security benefits application. If you need to provide additional medical records, or if you are denied and need to submit an appeal, it can take much longer.

When your disability prevents you from working, there is no reason to wait to start your application. There are a couple of advantages to this.

First, once you establish a date for the onset of your disability (usually, though not always, the last day you were able to work), you must complete a five-month waiting period until you are eligible to receive monthly SSDI benefits. If it takes longer than five months to get your claim approved, you’ll receive a lump sum back pay for the benefits you should have gotten all along. But when finances are tight, it’s best not to have to wait.

Second, the SSA will only pay back pay benefits for up to 12 months before your initial application date. Combined with the 5-month waiting period, this means you have up to 17 months to apply for benefits after you become disabled before further delays mean leaving money on the table.

The rules are even stricter if you are also applying for Supplemental Security Income (SSI). While there is no five-month waiting period for SSI, you are only entitled to benefits starting the month after you apply. Each month you wait to apply, the SSI income you could have earned is lost.

RELATED: How Long Does It Take to Get Social Security Disability?

3. Be Detailed and Honest in Your Application

The application process can be difficult and stressful. You may be tempted to exaggerate your medical condition to speed things up. This is not a good choice. If the SSA believes you are lying, you could be denied any Social Security Disability benefits. The best course of action is to tell the truth, with specific details about how your condition affects your daily life.

You want to describe your condition as briefly as possible, while including relevant details. Make sure you only list conditions that prevent you from working, that you are actively being treated for. It may help to describe your condition using a pain scale, saying things like “most days my pain is 4/10, but on the really bad days it is about 8/10.”

4. Check To See If You Can Fast-Track Your Application

The Social Security Administration offers two fast-track processes for SSDI claims. If you qualify for either Quick Disability Determinations (QDD) or Compassionate Allowances (CAL) claims processes, you may begin receiving social security disability insurance even sooner.

These programs are both used to identify serious medical conditions that are almost always approved. These include certain types of cancers, brain disorders, and more. If you have one of these conditions you may only need to submit a biopsy or diagnosis. This can save you a lot of time compared to the extensive medical documentation most applications require.

An experienced disability lawyer can help you determine if you are a good candidate for QDD or CAL claims.

5. Keep Up With Your Doctor Visits

You could harm your case if you have long gaps in your treatment records. This can be challenging when you change insurance providers, or have other financial challenges. Keep up with doctor visits, and make sure they know you are applying for SSDI or SSI. The documentation and medical records they provide are important to your case.

6. Follow Your Treatment Plan

If you have any treatment plans for your disability, follow them as closely as you can, even if your disability claim is denied at first. If you don’t continue with treatment, it can hurt you during the appeals process.

Keeping up with your medical treatment is important to show the severity of your disability. You don’t want the SSA to think you may be submitting fraudulent applications, or that your condition has improved (even when it hasn’t).

7. Get Copies of All Your Medical Records

To complete your disability application, you will need to submit supporting medical evidence of your medical condition. The Social Security Administration often requires people to be very thorough with these details. Getting the information straight from your provider will ensure that you have accurate records regarding dates, doctor visits, hospitalizations, physical therapy, prescriptions, and more.

It’s a good idea to keep copies of these records, including basic contact information for any medical providers that contributed to your care.

8. Document Your Disability

Keeping a diary or similar record of how your condition affects your daily life can help you get approved for Social Security Disability benefits. Include things like how your disability affected you at your job, meetings with HR or managers to talk about your limitations, and how it prevented you from working.

You can also write down how your condition affects your personal life, such as what your good days and bad days are like. Are you able to complete basic tasks like getting dressed, running errands, or taking a walk? Is your condition getting progressively worse? Documentation can help you argue your case, even if you don’t use this evidence as part of your social security disability application.

A Social Security Disability attorney may use these records to help you appeal your denial.

9. Don’t Give Up

Only about a third of initial applications are approved. After that, you can appeal with a reconsideration, but only a relatively small number (15%) of those are approved as well.

However, the next stage in the appeals process has a much higher success rate. If your claim is denied after reconsideration, you have the option of bringing your case in front of an administrative law judge (ALJ). The SSA’s statistics show that around 50% of applicants who reach this stage are successful in their appeal.

We know it is difficult to find the strength to keep pursuing help after you’ve been denied Social Security Disability benefits. When your condition makes it too difficult to work, you may really struggle to complete the paperwork, meet the different deadlines in the appeals process, and keep paying your bills. You don’t have to do this alone. A lawyer can fight for benefits on your behalf, so that you can focus on your day-to-day tasks without the added stress of the application process.

RELATED: What Are Your Chances of Winning Your Social Security Disability Appeal?

10. Get Help from a Disability Lawyer

An experienced social security disability attorney can help you get approved for SSDI and SSI benefits. They know exactly what kind of information the SSA is looking for, and can help you put together convincing evidence to support your disability application. You can consult an attorney at any step of the way, whether you are considering an initial application or in the middle of the appeals process.

Your lawyer can answer your questions, compile medical records, call in expert witnesses if needed, represent you in court, and more. They will do whatever it takes to help you build the strongest case possible.

More importantly, if you are denied benefits, you don’t pay your lawyer a single thing. Attorneys like Colbert Cooper Hill work on a “contingency basis,” which means we only get paid if you win your case.

Furthermore, federal law is very strict about what fees Social Security Disability lawyers can charge. Our payment is taken only out of your past-due benefits and capped at 25%. You never have to pay out of pocket, and you will never owe us a single cent of any future monthly benefit checks you receive after your claim is approved.

For more information, read our related post How Much Does a Social Security Disability Lawyer Cost?

Get the Wolf Pack™ On Your Side

When the limitations of your disability prevent you from working, you need an experienced disability attorney on your side. Call the Wolf Pack™ for legal help with social security disability. We provide all the assistance you need to get the financial help you deserve.

We have convenient office locations in Oklahoma City, Tulsa and Ardmore. For a free initial consultation to talk about the specifics of your case, you can either call us at 405-218-9200 or fill out our online form located below. Don’t wait to reach out about your case—let’s start securing your financial future today!

The content provided here is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice on any subject.