Social Security Disability

Important things to know:

You should apply as soon as you become disabled waiting can often lead to your not being able to obtain benefits at a later point.

There are a lot of voices talking about how hard it is to get social security disability and there is a lot of truth to that. However, with the right preparation and assistance it can be done and people are doing it every day.

Please note that unfortunately, calling the social security administration may not be your best option to get assistance with your Social Security Disability Insurance Application or even your Social Security Retirement Application for that matter. There are some high quality information resources out there. Some are free, some require a nominal charge, but the accurate information is out there.

I have placed a number of video’s (just scroll down this page) that feature absolute experts on the Social Security Disability and Retirement System and there is a lot of information in this video’s and more can be obtained by contacting them directly. Evan’s Disability is a law firm whose Managing Partner Peter Evan’s has handled thousands of disability cases. They have a range of experts on staff and they have a former Social Security Disability Judge who is a practicing attorney on their staff. Dr. Ed Weir has decades of experience with the Social Security Adminstration and he was the director of the “third largest social security office in the country.” He has done a huge number of video’s and can be talked to directly. For a charge of $99 you can set an appointment to talk with him directly for 45 minutes. Just so you know I did that with him and had my list of social security questions answered quickly and effeciently. I definitely recommend having them all preprepared that is what worked great for me.

And you can contact me, I’m Steve Bronnum, a former licensed investigator, claim adjuster, public utility engineer, and most recently an Emergency Response Official with the Disaster Assistance Division of the Small Business Administration. Throughout my career I have worked helped people suffering from injuries, illnesses, accidents, and disasters present the facts of their situations to insurance companies and a range of government agencies. In short, I help you tell your story in the most effective manner possible.

There is a lot to know about the Social Security Disability process and my hope is that by going through this page and spending a few hours of your time you will have a much better idea of what you or someone you love is dealing with.

Please do not hesitate to reach out to me with any questions, recommendations, constructive criticisms, etc.

Our mission is to help you get all that you deserve! We want to assist you every way we can. Just click on the chat link to connect with me directly. You can also email me directly at network4seniors@gmail.com

Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) has a five month waiting period, at least, at best you are looking at the sixth month after disability before receiving payments. There is also a full month waiting period after the date that SSDI determines that your disability began.

You can apply online or you can apply by calling their toll free number 1-800-772-1213.

In fact they have a Social Security Disability Insurance starter kit!

Many are not aware that you can file for both Disability and Retirement benefits at the same time:

If you become disabled and are medically determined to be unable to work for a period of at least 12 months and/or if you are likely to die from your disability you could be eligible for Social Security Disability. And if you are at least 62 years of age and eligible for Social Security Retirement benefits you should apply for both disability and retirement at the same time. Right now, the Social Security Administration said they are running about 60 days for the processing of a retirement claim. This could allow you to receive retirement income while you are waiting for your Social Security Disability to be approved.

Often once you receive your Social Security Disability monthly payment it will be for significantly more than early retirement monthly payment. EW 4:38

Early Medicare:

If you are approved for disability - even at age 50 - after 24 months you will be enrolled in Part A and Part B (which you can decline if you have health coverage from your spouses employment and that employer has 20 or more employees). EW 8:18

Disabled Widow’s Benefits 50 to 60 years of age:

You may be eligible for Social Security Disability benefits even if you are not eligible for retirement benefits. If you are disabled, age 50 to 60, and were married to a person who passed away (while eligible for Social Security benefits) you may be able to receive benefits on your former spouses Social Security work record/eligibility. EW 10:03

VA disability is not the same:

With the Veterans Administration there are levels of disability. With Social Security, they have the highest standard for disability - you must medically determined to be unable to work.

$1,550 a month is the maximum that you can be working (not pensions, savings, inheritance, side business, etc. - EW

Do you need an attorney:

No a lawyer is not required. In fact, the lawyer will likely ask the same questions you would have to provide to Social Security anyway.

Be prepared and used the Adult Starter Kit!

You will likely be required to provide full medical records and documentation of all of your physical symptoms, examinations, tests, procedures, surgeries, etc. Some people have reported receiving approval in as little as 3 months if they have good documentation.

In some area’s it might make sense to retain legal representation once you are well into the process. However, you will want to make sure that your legal counsel is knowledgeable about Social Security Disability and local to you. That local knowledge and experience might be crucial should you encounter difficulty at a more advanced stage of the application process.

There are a number of steps for the Social Security Disability process and the first two are relatively straightforward and for most people do not require the services of a lawyer. In fact, it is likely that they will simply ask you the same questions that are on the application.

First you will file an Initial Claim and hopefully that will be successful.

Depending on your situation, medical condition, records, and submission process if you are determined to be medically disabled and are unable “…to do any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment which can be expected to result in death or which has lasted for a continuous period of not less than 12 months.” For more go to the SSA Basic definition of disability.

If you are not successful then you move to the next step.

This is the Reconsideration Claim and hopefully that will be successful. If not, you might now want to consider a lawyer for the next step…

Going before an Administrative Law Judge. At this point it is likely that you will want local legal representation.

How to get approved for Social Security Disability:

Make sure to provide all of the documentation requested by Social Security. Too make sure they understand you read everything and paid attention, if there is information requested that does not apply to you, then mark it “N/A” or Not Applicable. You must ensure that they are aware that you did not simply skip over something.

Your doctors address MUST be the correct one. This is really important. If for some reason Social Security does not get a response from your doctor or other medical organization, they might very well go ahead and make a decision without them. That will most likely not be a decision in your favor. Before you submit your application, make sure to contact your doctor and make sure that you provide Social Security with the best address for submitting medical record requests.

It is important that your medical records and treatments are consistent. It is routinely best for records to come directly from your doctor and/or medical facilities.

You should have a confirmed diagnosis of your medical condition by your physician. And that diagnosis needs to be the correct one for the medical area of the diagnosis.

You need to ensure that you are following your doctor’s orders. Remember, this is the person who is certifying your condition and you should be following their orders. If for some reason you can’t, make sure the doctor is aware and makes notes in your medical records as well.

Keep your own records or journal/diary that way you ensure that you have everything documented yourself as well.

Most of us would rather be able to work rather than be on disability and it is a good idea to make the disability evaluators aware of that fact. You want to work, you just can not do it and why.

Routinely, your medical conditions should be connected to your work limitations. An example is: You could get a job, but the pain or nausea you feel when standing up disrupts your ability to work. So you would not be able to work for long.

If it works out that you must go before an Administrative Judges please remember that they have very pressing work loads. And you really should be going before them with your local lawyer. Preferably one who is aware of what the individual Administrative Judge that you will be going before really wants. That way you have a much better chance of providing it. Its always a good idea for you to work closely with your lawyer and be aware of the questions you will likely to be asked. Your lawyer can then help you to make sure that your answers are relevant and effective. Remember, judges are people too and you want to make sure that you help them to be able to help you! EW

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