Social Security Disability benefits are in place to help you if you have a long-term disability. The process of obtaining benefits is very time consuming and there is a lot of work involved. Because of this, a lot of mistakes are made. If you’re going to file a claim for Social Security Disability, it’s best to know the mistakes not to make to make life a little easier for you.
Not Filing Your Claim Right Away
To qualify for Social Security Disability benefits, you have to be able to prove that your disability is long-term, which means the disability is bad enough to keep you out for work for at least a year. Many assume that this means you have to wait a year to file your claim, but that’s not true. You just have to provide medical proof that your disability is bad enough to keep you from being gainfully employed for the next 12 months. However, keep in mind that filing for benefits too soon could mean a denial.
Not Seeking Medical Treatment
If you have not seen a doctor for treatment of your disability, you probably won’t win your claim for Social Security benefits. To start, if your condition is not severe enough for you to even seek treatment, Social Security isn’t going to think it’s severe enough to keep you out of work. Also, Social Security will want you to see a doctor because there may be some treatments that can help to improve your condition to the point of allowing you to return to work.
You Earn too Much Money
You can earn some money and still qualify for disability benefits, but you can’t earn a lot. Each year the Social Security Administration determines that threshold. This means you can continue to work while you receive disability, but your wages can’t exceed the established threshold. However, if you require special accommodations to allow you to work, Social Security may waive the threshold amount for you and still award you benefits.
Filing a New Claim at Denial
Most everyone who files a disability claim is denied at first. Many think it’s because Social Security automatically denies every claim to allow each claimant to appeal. This is not true. Social Security denies upwards of 70 percent of claims filed because those claims are missing pertinent information, such as certain medical documentation.
If your claim gets denied on your first try, you may think it’s a good idea to file a new claim with just the requested documentation. However, that’s not a good idea. It’s best to file an appeal of your original objection because your chances of having the claim approved are much higher than your filing a new claim altogether.
The best thing you can do for yourself to help your claim along is to retain an experienced Phoenix Social Security Disability Attorney. Your lawyer will know the mistakes to avoid and help you through the entire application process. If your claim is denied at first, an attorney can help you through the appeals process to better your chances of approval.
