How should you apply for Social Security disability benefits?
Best advice if you decide to file your own application? Be meticulous and complete every question on every form accurately. Don't leave blank lines and don't turn in forms that are half-way filled out. You will not get to meet the Social Security decision maker in person. Those forms are going to represent you, so be sure they are accurate and give a very complete picture of who you are, what you can do, and what your functional limitations are.
- Internet?
- By Phone?
- At a Social Security Office
- By using an attorney?
- Marriage/divorce information, city and state you were married in, date of marriage, spouse's date of birth and Social Security number. If you had a previous marriage that lasted 10 years or longer, you need this same information for your former spouse(s).
- Employment history going back 15 years to include job title, employers' names and addresses, phone numbers, and dates of employment.
- A list of all medical diagnoses and symptoms.
- Contact information for all medical providers with estimated first date of treatment and most recent date of treatment by each provider. List all medical providers you want Social Security to consider in evaluating the medical evidence supporting your claim.
- A list of all prescription medications you are currently taking with dosages and what each medication is used for. Example: Ambien (for insomnia); Topomax (for migraine headaches).
Best advice if you decide to file your own application? Be meticulous and complete every question on every form accurately. Don't leave blank lines and don't turn in forms that are half-way filled out. You will not get to meet the Social Security decision maker in person. Those forms are going to represent you, so be sure they are accurate and give a very complete picture of who you are, what you can do, and what your functional limitations are.
Most attorneys will not help you file the initial application. They want you to be denied first. My firm is different. If you have a viable claim, we will help you file the initial application. Then, if an appeal is required later, we will handle that, too. Pick up the phone and call me at (256) 799-0297. Remember, there is never a charge for anything I do until you WIN and GET PAID, and that includes getting our back pay benefits.
ReplyDeleteI see individuals denied SSDI benefits every day because they skimped on the forms. They left questions blank or completed forms half-heartedly. You don't get to meet decision makers at Social Security, so the forms represent you. If you aren't sure how to fill them out, please get some help. We do not charge for filling out forms or completing Social Security applications. If we can help you, please pick up the phone and call me. (256) 799-0297.
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