What You Should Know About Disability Eligibility
Eligibility for Social Security Disability is determined based on your disability and your work history. If you have worked most of your life and have paid your FICA taxes, you will most likely meet the technical requirements for eligibility.
You must meet both the medical and technical eligibility requirements to receive SSD monthly benefits. It is necessary to have a doctor's diagnosis that you are currently disabled, as well as medical records that show the history of your disability. This documentation should include detailed medical records related to the disabling condition.
Increasing Your Chance of Success
While as many as 70% of initial applications are denied, many people are successful in getting their benefits on the first try. The truth is, there are ways improve your chances of success. The best cases are those where the medical evidence is extremely strong, such as when your doctor supplies a thorough description of the extent of your limitations, your medical records are complete, and your financial records reflect a solid work history.
At the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, law office of attorney Cynthia Berger, we can help make sure your application is complete and accurate before submitting it to the Social Security Administration. We can talk to you about your situation, and help you determine your chances of success.
You should know that there are a few ways to increase your chances of winning your Social Security Disability claim:
- Hiring a lawyer: Statistics clearly show that claimants who are represented by an attorney win their benefits far more often than those who try to handle matters on their own. This is true at every stage, even the initial claim and reconsideration stages, as well as the hearing before the administrative law judge.
Having representation helps because the regulations that govern the Social Security Administration's disability program are so complex. There are medical records to be collected, questions to answer and deadlines to meet. People - especially people who are already struggling with a disability - often find it overwhelming to handle the process alone.
- Making sure your medical records are complete: To increase your chances of success, claimants (or their attorney representatives) should get copies of their complete medical records from all relevant doctors and submit them with their applications or appeals.
If your disability claim does not have complete medical records to go along with it, it's possible that the disability examiner may make a decision on your claim before all of the medical evidence has been obtained. When your application arrives on the disability examiner's desk with all the records attached, your case has a better chance of being worked on immediately - and it may have a better chance of being approved.
To get real answers about your disability eligibility, contact Cynthia Berger and her support staff at our Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, law office. We offer free and confidential consultations.
