HOW TO APPLY FOR SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY BENEFITS
APPLY NOW FOR SSD BENEFITS
If you are wondering how to apply for Social Security Disability benefits, then you have come to the right place. Filing for Social Security Disability benefits has never been easier. The SSA has multiple ways for people to file an application for SSD benefits. If you cannot work for more than 12 months due to a severe medical condition, then you should apply for benefits.
If you need help filing an application for SSD benefits, then you should contact our law firm. Our attorneys and staff have over 30 years of legal experience helping people win benefits. We have won over $100 million on ongoing and past due benefits for our clients. We offer a free review of your case. Also, there is no attorney fee unless we win your benefits.
For your part, all you need to do is call. Also, you will need to trust us. Because you need an attorney with experience to help you through the long and frustrating process of winning benefits. Make sure to hire the legal team with the most experience and the best track record. Hire us.
We have offices in Salt Lake City, Utah and Las Vegas, Nevada. We have information about filing for benefits in Utah. Likewise, we have the information you need to file for Nevada SSDI benefits. Below, find out how to apply for Social Security Disability and SSI benefits. Also, learn about the five month waiting period.
APPLY FOR SSD BENEFITS AT YOUR LOCAL SSA OFFICE
The most traditional way to apply for SSD benefits is to apply in person at your local SSA office. This is not what we recommend. First, the SSA is no longer taking appointments for people who walk in. Second, there is always a long wait time at the SSA offices.
However, you can make an appointment and sit down with an SSA worker to file your application. Every city has Social Security offices which you can visit. At your local office, they can help you complete the forms to apply for SSDI and SSI benefits.
This option is a good option if you have trouble reading or you do not have access to the internet. Also, it is a good option if you are looking for help from an SSA worker. Unfortunately, it may take some time to apply in person. If you choose to go to your local office, then make an early appointment. Additionally, don’t forget that the SSA closes early every Wednesday.
APPLY FOR DISABILITY BENEFITS OVER THE PHONE
Believe it or not, you can also apply for SSDI and SSI benefits over the phone. Once you have called the SSA, they will send you the forms you need to complete by mail. You will need to have a current mailing address or P.O. Box to receive the forms. Even if you get the forms in the mail, the day you call the SSA is your “protective filing date.” A protective filing date means that the SSA is protecting your application date.
In other words, the day you call the SSA is the day they will state that you filed your application. This date is important because it is the day the SSA uses to figure out when you should be paid benefits. Even if you complete you application at a later point in time, the date you request an application is your protective filing date.
You may have a medical condition that prevents you from visiting the local office and filing an application in person or online. For example, if you are blind, you may not be able to fill out an application. You can request that the SSA help you fill out the application when you call them. The SSA also can send the application and forms in a large print for those who have trouble seeing.
Additionally, if you cannot read, then you can have a family member help you complete the application. Many people do not speak or read English, but they still need to apply for benefits. You can request that the SSA send you an application, forms, and notices in your native language.
APPLY FOR SSD BENEFITS ONLINE
The easiest way to apply for benefits is using a computer. You can apply online for SSDI and SSI benefits on the Social Security website. The SSA has made it easy for any individual with access to a computer to apply for benefits. It is also easy to complete the online forms to begin the five step Social Security review process.
If you do not have a computer, then you can go to your local library and apply online. Once you are on the website, it will walk you through the application process.
You will need to know simple facts, like your Social Security number, marriage date, and the Social Security number of your spouse. You will also need to know the names of your doctors and their addresses, etc.. Of course, you will also want to explain your medical condition and severe medical symptoms to the SSA. You should include both your physical and mental conditions.
Don’t forget to explain why you cannot work. If you don’t have all of the information you need, then you can get a reentry number that allows you to go back later and complete the online application. Just remember to write down your reentry number so that you can finish the application in a timely fashion.
AFTER YOU APPLY FOR DISABILITY BENEFITS, CONTINUE MEDICAL TREATMENT
After you file your application for SSDI and SSI benefits, the main thing you need to do is to continue to see your doctor. Without medical treatment you will not win benefits. The SSA looks for specific things when they review your medical records. For example, the SSA will look for:
1. CONSISTENT TREATMENT:
It’s important to get regular medical treatment for your medical condition. It doesn’t matter if you have a physical or mental condition. Or, even if you have both. You simply must have ongoing treatment to prove that your health condition prevents you from working. Ongoing treatment means visiting the doctor on a monthly basis. Or, if you have a mental condition, then you should visit a therapist weekly.
2. ESTABLISH A RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR DOCTOR:
Building a strong relationship with your doctor is crucial to winning benefits. Your doctor can provide progress notes and a treatment plan. Also, your doctor can discuss your severe symptoms. Additionally, your doctor can give an opinion to the SSA as to whether or not your condition prevents you from working.
3. DOCUMENT YOUR SYMPTOMS:
Make sure to describe your symptoms, pain, and physical limits to your doctor. If you go to the doctor and say that everything is fine, then that is what will end up in your progress notes. Your need to tell your doctor how your symptoms interfere with your daily activities. Also, you can document your own symptoms and share it with your doctor. For example, if you have migraines, you can keep a journal and share it with your doctor. This journal can also be given to the SSA as evidence of how often your condition effects you.
4. FOLLOW TREATMENT RECOMMENDATIONS:
It is important to follow the treatment plan that your doctor recommends. This includes taking your medications, going to therapy sessions, and following your treatment plan. If you don’t follow the plan, then the SSA can deny your claim for SSD benefits. The SSA can deny your benefits for failing to follow your treatment plan.
5. KEEP DETAILED RECORDS:
Keep a record of all medical appointments, treatments, and medications. This helps provide a clear history of your medical condition to the SSA and to your doctor. It also helps you attorney know every visit you have with your doctor. Additionally, if you go to the emergency room or an urgent clinic, then make sure to tell your attorney, so she can collect your medical records.
6. CONSULT A SPECIALIST:
If your medical condition requires special care, then seek out an expert. A doctor who is an expert in treating your medical condition can provide an expert opinion to the SSA. They can also give you treatment that you might not get elsewhere. If the treatment doesn’t improve your symptoms, then your attempts to seek a cure support your claim for benefits.
7. REPORT CHANGES IN YOUR MEDICAL CONDITION:
If your medical condition changes or gets worse, then inform your doctor. Your doctor can adjust your treatment plan and provide updated medical records to the SSA. If you have an attorney, then your attorney can send those records to the SSA. Your attorney can also make the argument that you cannot work.
8. DON’T QUIT GOING TO THE DOCTOR:
One of the main problems we see in our practice is that people quit going to the doctor. There are many reasons for this behavior. Sometimes, people lose their health insurance. Or they move. Therefore, it is difficult to see the same doctor.
However, some people don’t have a good reason for not getting treatment. For example, they go to the doctor once or twice and then quit going. They miss appointments or fail to take their medications. The SSA does not look kindly on this type of behavior. If you quit going to treatment, the SSA will find that you did not try to take care of your symptoms. And, they will not pay you benefits.
Therefore, stay in regular contact with your medical team. They can provide letters of support, progress notes, and expert medical opinions to the SSA. If your doctor provides a medical opinion and it is not backed up by progress notes, then they won’t accept the opinion as valid. The medical opinion from your doctor must agree with the progress notes.
CONTACT US ABOUT HOW TO APPLY FOR BENEFITS
If you have questions about how to apply for Social Security benefits, then contact our law firm. We will be happy to help you. Contacting us about your case is free. We will not charge you to review of your case. Likewise, we will not charge you an attorney fee unless we win your case. However, there are costs to every claim that you must pay. Usually these costs are minimal and consist of paying for a copy of your medical records.
Once you win benefits, you will have many questions about how much money you will receive. You will also want to know if SSDI benefits ends at some future point. Likewise, you may have questions about Medicare benefits and Medicaid benefits.
In the past 30 years, the attorneys and staff at our law firm have won over $100 million in past due and ongoing benefits for our clients. We have the experience you need to win your case. Also, we believe we are the best legal team that you can hire in Utah, Nevada, Idaho, and California. It is free to call and talk to us about your case. Hire the best Social Security law firm to help you apply for SSD benefits or appeal your case.
