Being permanently disabled due to an illness or injury can be devastating. Aside from your inability to work and earn a living, you may no longer be able to do the things you used to do before the disability happened. The Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program was created to provide income support to those who became disabled. All you have to do is file a claim and wait for its approval.
However, filing a Social Security disability claim isn’t easy. With thousands to millions of disabled individuals who applied for claims, only a small portion of these applicants was approved. Many claims were denied because of errors in the applications, missed deadlines, insufficient documentation, and many more. Luckily, some ways can help reduce the chances of getting denied.
So, if you’re filing for a Social Security disability claim, below are the five tips you should consider for guaranteed approval.
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Make Sure Your Application Is Complete
When preparing your Social Security disability benefits application, you need to ensure everything is complete to improve your chances of approval. Take the time to fill in your application form with the necessary details. Aside from your basic personal information and employment history, you should also pay attention to answering questions related to your health.
For example, you need to provide information about your medical condition, the treatments you’ve received, and the prescriptions you’ve taken. Also, don’t hesitate to give the names of the doctors and other healthcare professionals who’ve taken care of you.
By completing your application form with the necessary details, you can avoid getting your claim denied due to an incomplete application.
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Secure Sufficient Medical Evidence
You should also keep accurate medical documentation when filing a Social Security claim. That’s because the disability examiners won’t act on your application if you haven’t submitted all your medical records and documentation to prove your disability due to an injury or illness. These can include physician statements, x-rays, blood work, treatment records, and many more.
Although the Social Security Administration (SSA) can directly request your medical records, it’d still be an excellent idea to obtain the documentation yourself to ensure it goes to the right hands.
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Consider Hiring A Social Security Disability Attorney
Even if you think you’re eligible to receive disability benefits, it doesn’t automatically mean you’ll get 100% approved without a hitch. Because of this, it’s best to hire a Social Security attorney from the beginning to help double your chances of getting approval.
If you have a strong claim, the legal professional you hire can help strengthen your claim. As a result, you’ll be more likely to obtain your benefits to ensure your financial future. Hence, don’t hesitate to work with a legal professional to ensure your claim is a success. However, if you want to understand better how they can help your application, you may check out more information here.
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Get Status Updates On Your Claim Regularly
Generally speaking, the SSA handles millions of applications every year. If you’re applying for Social Security disability benefits, you may be one of those people who are waiting for updates from the SSA. Unfortunately, this situation can cause miscommunications and misunderstandings, resulting in missed deadlines and, worse, claim denials.
To avoid these things, it’s essential to get status updates on your claim regularly. You can call a claims representative to know what’s happening with your application. To make sure you’re not missing any deadline, it’s best to create a separate log of communications to keep track of the status of your claim. Doing so can increase the likelihood of receiving approval.
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Follow All Your Doctor’s Orders And Recommendations
Showing that you’re doing your best to recover and improve your condition can make a massive difference in the success of your disability claim. Typically, the SSA won’t hesitate to deny your application if you don’t follow your doctor’s orders and recommendations. These can include taking the prescribed medications, doing recommended lifestyle changes, going to your treatment options, and many more.
Thus, if you want to ensure a successful disability claim, make sure to do what your doctor has to say to help you with your disability. If possible, you can also create a journal that records the progress of your recovery and treatments. By doing so, you can sufficiently demonstrate to SSA your willingness to make your condition much better.
Bottom Line
Although it can be challenging to win a Social Security disability case, some ways can help improve your chances of winning. Therefore, to make it happen, be sure to keep these tips in mind, and you’ll be more confident of the outcome. The more you know what to do from the start of your application, the more you can expedite the award of your disability benefits.
