You may be seriously suffering from your disability and require financial relief as soon as possible. However, this does not mean that you should rush filling out and submitting your application for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits. This is because the Social Security Administration (SSA) is known to deny applications over the slightest errors. In the past, only one in three applications receive approval. Continue reading to learn how to prepare your benefits application and how an experienced New Jersey SSDI attorney at The Law Offices of Sheryl Gandel Mazur can ensure you handle this correctly.
How do I prepare for my application for SSDI benefits?
You may only have 30 days from the date you become disabled to file your SSDI benefits application. Even still, you must take advantage of every last day to ensure your application is in good shape.
First, you should confirm whether the SSA will consider your condition one of its qualifying disabilities. The SSA’s strict definition of a disability holds that you must be unable to do any substantial work because of your condition. Plus, it means that your condition must have lasted, or is expected to last, at least one year; or is expected to result in death.
Then, you should confirm whether you better qualify for the SSDI benefits program over the Social Security Insurance (SSI) benefits program. That is, SSDI benefits are designated for individuals who have worked long enough or recently enough and have paid Social Security taxes on their earnings. On the other hand, SSI benefits are designated for individuals with little to no income or financial resources.
What specific documents and information will be requested in my application?
Once you confirm your eligibility to pursue an SSDI benefits application, you must begin the extensive process of filling out and supplementing it. That is, the SSA will not take your doctor’s opinion alone to prove your condition is a qualifying disability.
Rather, you may be expected to provide a list of the types of medications you take, why you take them, and what provider prescribed them. This may be in addition to the types of medical tests you have submitted to, what provider sent you to them, and the date you underwent them. Also, a list of your job history (i.e., job titles, types of businesses, dates worked, rate of pay, etc). This is not to mention having your Social Security number and a copy of your birth certificate on hand, among other things.
Of note, this information is made accessible through the Adult Disability Starter Kit on the SSA’s website. In conclusion, the time to act is now. So please pick up the phone and call a skilled New Jersey SSDI attorney from The Law Offices of Sheryl Gandel Mazur. We look forward to hearing from you.
