Tips for Having Your SSDI Application Approved

Are you preparing to file an application for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits? If so, it is important to know what you should do (and what you should not do) to give yourself the best chance of having your application approved upon your initial filing. For so many disabled adults, minor errors in this complicated application result in a denial after the initial application. Indeed, according to data from the Social Security Administration (SSA), which administers SSDI and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits, about 67 percent of initial applicants are denied on average every year. Upon requesting reconsideration, many of those applicants are approved, but it is certainly easiest if you can be approved when you initially submit your application.

The following are some key tips for getting your SSDI application approved upon initial submission to the SSA.

Tip 1: Work with a Lawyer on Your Application from the Start 

The most important tip for getting your SSDI application approved when you submit it the first time is to work with an experienced disability lawyer from the start. You should have your lawyer go through all components of the application with you, and review your application before it is submitted. While a majority of initial applications for SSDI benefits are denied the first time, many of those applicants do not work on their applications with an experienced lawyer. Having a lawyer to assist you with your application is the best way to avoid a denial due to an error or omission.

Tip 2: Discuss Your Medical Condition with Your Health Care Providers 

It is important to discuss the details of your medical condition with your health care provider and to ensure that your medical records make clear the extent of your condition. You will need these records as key evidence in support of the medical component of your SSDI application.

Tip 3: Understand Exactly What You Need to Be Eligible for SSDI Benefits Before Applying 

It is also important to understand exactly what you need to be eligible for — and to be approved for — SSDI benefits. These benefits have two requirements: 1) a medical component with evidence that shows you have a medical condition that is expected to last for at least one year or to result in your death, and that prevent you from engaging in substantial gainful activity; and 2) a work history that shows you have worked long enough and recently enough to have sufficient “credits” to receive SSDI payments.

Tip 4: Double Check Your Application with Your Lawyer’s Assistance 

Finally, it is important to double check your application thoroughly, and to go over all aspects of your application with your disability benefits attorney before you submit it to the SSA. A large percentage of SSDI applications that are initially denied, as we noted above, are submitted without a lawyer’s assistance.

Contact a National Disability Benefits Lawyer Today for Assistance 

Do you need assistance with your SSDI application? Or were you denied upon initial application, and you need help requesting reconsideration or going through another stage of the appeals process? Whether you need help with your initial SSDI application or you need assistance with any stage of SSDI appeals, our firm is here to help. One of the experienced national SSDI benefits lawyers at the Law Offices of Stephen Barszcz can discuss your disability application with you today. Contact us for assistance.

Sources:

ssa.gov/policy/docs/statcomps/di_asr/2020/sect04.html

ssa.gov/disability