Disability Tips

The road to Social Security disability is often addled with long waits, frustrating rejections, and tedious paperwork. Although there are no guarantees, by following some tried and true disability tips, you can make that road smoother and possibly even shorter.

Disability Tips

1. Be honest. Don’t exaggerate your medical condition, but don’t understate it either! As you’re filling out application paperwork or working on an appeal, do your best to accurately describe the severity of your medical limitation and its affect on your home and work life.
2. Don’t waste any time. If you are disabled and unable to work, don’t hesitate to file for Social Security disability. The process can take several months (and in some cases, more than a year!), so don’t wait until you’re hard-pressed for an income to apply.
3. Beware of deadlines. Promptness is also important when filing for an appeal because the deadlines are strict. Don’t wait around until the last minute. Prepare your appeal straightaway. This is the most simple of our disability tips, but it’s also very easy to overlook or ignore, so mark the important dates on your calendar and stick to them!
4. Work with your doctor. If you don’t have the support of a doctor, you may struggle to receive Social Security disability. The entire process relies on your medical records and statements from physicians, so it is important that you ask your personal doctor if he or she is willing to give a detailed statement. It is also vital that you have regular doctor appointments to show both the severity of your medical condition and your dedication to explore all treatment options.
5. Be detailed. Your medical records are extremely important, as we’ve just discussed, so take the time to update them and make copies when necessary. In addition, take notes that focus on your disability. Keep a list of all of your medical appointments. Document any treatments you’ve received. Keep a journal detailing symptoms, chronic pain, and even emotional or psychological states. These carefully kept records may come in handy later.
6. Don’t give up. Not every applicant will be accepted when they first apply for disability benefits. In fact, many won’t! But it’s crucial that if you are denied, you move past that initial rejection and keep trying. A significant percentage of people who have disability received it after an appeal or a hearing. So if you’re rejected on your first try, work to better prepare your medical file and seek a qualified representative like those at BTS Group, Inc. to help you through the process.
7. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Although following our disability tips will be helpful in this process, it will likely still be a difficult journey. A disability representative will familiarize you with the process, keep track of important dates, and check that your paperwork is complete and primed for success. Plus, a representative will likely have dozens more supportive disability tips for you!

Every disability case is different, but by using these disability tips, you should be able to improve your chances of winning disability benefits and possibly even shorten the overall process.

Would you like to keep reading? Learn how to represent yourself at a disability hearing.