Everything You Ever Wanted To Know
About Social Security Disability
Part Two: Filing the Application
and Involving Your Doctors
To review briefly, Social Security and SSI disability benefits are available to individuals who are unable to work due to physical or mental impairments (or both). The disability must have lasted or be expected to last at least twelve months.
When should an individual apply for these benefits? We recommend that a person file an application for these benefits as soon as they feel they can demonstrate an inability to work for at least twelve consecutive months. The application can be obtained from your local Social Security office or by telephone by contacting Social Security's toll-free number, 1-800-772-1213 (answered from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.).
Is there any general advice that you can give me about the Social Security disability application? Yes. When you complete your disability application, be sure to mention all of your health problems, not just the one that is most severe. This is because in evaluating your case, Social Security will look at all of your health problems together. Be honest about the severity of your symptoms. Avoid the temptation to minimize them. Also be sure to include in your application the names, addresses and phone numbers of all of the doctors and hospitals where you have been treated. When asked about your daily activities, be sure to describe them the way you are able to perform them on your bad days, not the way you wish you could perform them or performed them before your medical problems became severe. The key point is to make your application comprehensive and detailed.
How are emotional symptoms such as anxiety and depression considered as part of the application process? These symptoms are very common and will always strengthen a disability application if the individual has been reporting these symptoms to a doctor and receiving treatment for them. If you experience these symptoms even occasionally, you should include them in the application. If these symptoms are severe (bothering you on a daily basis), your disability application will be strengthened if you began treatment with a specialist (such as a counselor, therapist, psychiatrist or mental health center).
What should I tell my treating doctors about my application for disability benefits? Social Security will always contact your doctors as part of the disability review process. At a minimum, they will ask your doctors to supply them with copies of your treatment records and test results. Sometimes they will ask your doctor to complete a short medical assessment form. The cooperation and support of your treating doctors is critical to the success of your disability case. You should discuss your intent to apply for disability benefits with your doctors either before you apply or as soon as possible thereafter. Ask each doctor to confirm his or her support for your disability application and his or her willingness to provide the medical records and medical assessments that may be necessary to support your application.
If I have questions about Social Security or private disability benefits is it okay to contact the Disability Benefits Law Center to discuss my questions? Of course. We are happy to answer questions over the telephone or through email and all consultations are always free of charge. For Social Security disability cases, attorney's fees are regulated by the Social Security Administration. In almost all cases, there is no fee unless benefits are awarded and all attorney's fees must be approved by the Social Security Administration.
If you or someone you know has any questions about disability benefits, call the Disability Benefits Law Center for a free consultation at: 215-886-0660 or email us at: info@disability-benefits-law-center.com The Disability Benefits Law Center maintains offices in Center City Philadelphia and Jenkintown. The Disability Benefits Law Center focuses its practice exclusively on Social Security and private disability matters.
