Tips to Help Your Social Security Disability Claim

If you are unable to work due to a medical condition, you may qualify for Social Security disability benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA). While you may meet the eligibility requirements, the process of filing for benefits and obtaining approval from the SSA can be very long and complex, so it is important to avoid certain pitfalls that can derail your claim. Here are four tips to follow to ensure that your disability claim stays on the right track:

• Be sure to allege all of your medical problems in your disability application, including mental conditions. Sometimes it may be possible to obtain disability payments for a combination of impairments that wouldn’t qualify for benefits individually. Mental impairments like anxiety or depression often accompany physical conditions in many applicants.
• See a doctor for your medical condition. The SSA won’t be easily convinced that your condition is severe enough for disability benefits if you haven’t seen a doctor and are not receiving treatment. However, there are acceptable reasons for not seeking treatment, including being unable to afford it and not having access to free or low cost medical services. But if you are able, seeing a healthcare practitioner will provide valuable evidence of the severity of your condition that will help your disability claim. Accordingly:
• Take medication as prescribed by your doctor. When evaluating your claim, the SSA will look to ascertain whether or not your condition is severely limiting. If you neglect to comply with your doctor’s prescribed treatment recommendations, the SSA will likely conclude that your condition is not as serious as you have asserted.
• Don’t assume that you can’t afford to hire an attorney to help you with your claim. You’ll never owe our disability lawyers a fee unless we are successful in obtaining benefits for you. Due to the lengthy, complicated process of applying for disability, having an experienced attorney fighting for you throughout your case can mean all the difference between approval for benefits and the denial of your claim. Regardless of your current financial situation, we can help you: contact our firm today.