Social Security Disability Insurance (SSD) can provide a lifeline for those whose injury or illness prevents them from working. To get it, you need to file an application with the Social Security Administration (SSA).
Each year the SSA rejects many people’s claims. Some they reject because the person does not have a valid reason to receive SSD, but in many cases, it’s down to errors the applicant makes when filing the claim.
Here are three frequently made errors you need to avoid:
1. Failing to fill out the forms correctly
Everyone has made mistakes on forms from time to time. Yet even a simple error, such as writing the wrong date or address, could lead to the SSA rejecting your claim because things do not match up.
2. Failing to provide sufficient evidence evidence
You know you cannot work due to your disability, and so do your friends, your family and your old employer. That does not mean the SSA knows. They want hard proof, and it may take you some time to collect it to their satisfaction. Be sure to check exactly what they are asking for – it’s often more than you would think.
3. Not classifying your disability in the right way
Some disabling conditions fit neatly into the categories set out in the guidelines the SSA assessors work to. Others do not, but that does not necessarily mean you cannot claim for them. Sometimes you just need to know how to include them under a different category.
If you need to claim Social Security Disability, you want to do all you can to get your claim approved the first time around. Legal guidance will increase the chance you do.