4 Application Mistakes That Jeopardize Your Disability Benefits
Published on September 25th, 2017 by Eric Slepian
Suffering from a disabling injury or illness can turn your life upside down. You can be in and out of the hospital, struggling with depression and finding it all but impossible to provide for yourself and your family. This last point can be especially true if you are unable to work.
Under these circumstances, you could be eligible to receive disability benefits from Social Security. These monthly benefits can provide critical support and relief to disabled workers during a very difficult time. However, in order to collect them you must first apply for them, and that can be more problematic than you expect if you make one of the following common application mistakes.
Mistake #1: Submitting incomplete paperwork
If you forget to include medical, personal or any other type of information with your application, the Social Security Administration can deny it. In some cases, they may try to hunt down the information, but thanks to a massive backlog and strained resources, it is more like that they will simply reject the application.
Mistake #2: Insufficient medical information
You need to prove that you have a qualifying disabling condition. If you do not have or submit the medical records and evidence to back up your claims, then the SSA can deny your request for benefits.
Mistake #3: Applying for benefits for which you are ineligible
In order to collect disability benefits, you must meet certain non-medical eligibility requirements, including recent work history and sufficient work credits. If you do not meet these requirements, your application can be denied.
Mistake #4: Trying to navigate the system on your own
According to this article on Social Security benefits, the SSA reportedly denies about 50 percent of all the applications it receives. In other words, you need all the help and support you can get if you want to avoid denials.
Because you have likely never been through this process before, it can be wise to reach out for the help of an attorney experienced in creating and submitting applications for disability benefits. With legal guidance, you can avoid common pitfalls and mistakes throughout this process that could jeopardize the benefits you need and deserve.
