Getting the Necessary Paperwork ReadyWritten by Paul Hod
A good grasp of inner workings of disability claim benefits will significantly increase claimant’s chances of having his request approved. Understanding procedures as well as criteria used in evaluating your claims is a must if you want to receive benefit you rightfully deserve. It is next to impossible to win at something when you do not know rules that apply. Of course it will be a lot in favor of opposing team if they alone know regulations in effect. Consider this, if you are not aware of what should be done, you will never know if rules that should be applied is being followed at all. Remember that people making decisions that will affect you are only human and prone to make mistakes.The first problem every applicant for social security disability faces is sudden realization that what is disability to you, to your doctor, to any one with common sense, may not be disability as defined by social security. Of course it goes without saying that people who will determine whether you are legible will have a very different opinion what is disabled and what is not. Social security disability has a very fact specific set of rules, regulations, tables, and agency policies that are used to determine whether a claimant for disability meets definition and criteria of disability under social security system- for purposes of entitlement to benefits. What seems to you like a fairly simple determination - are you or are you not disabled - becomes something subject to determination according to a set of criteria that often defies common sense and logic.
| | What you shouldn’t believe about SSDWritten by Lala Balattan
The Social Security and Supplemental Security Income disability programs are largest of several Federal programs that provide assistance to people with disabilities. American citizens have come to be aware that with Social Security programs for disability benefits and SSI, security is still there for them, even as they are physically restricted, burdened with an illness and unable to work anymore. However, Social Security is not committed to making massive awareness and information regarding such programs as vast public are continually in ignorance of its procedures, policies and workings. Because of this, several misconceptions and false expectations have been harbored by many who were misinformed of social security’s policy. Alas! Many are greatly disillusioned by time they have come through handling their own applications for disability / SSI claims. A foremost example of a misconception is that “the Social Security denies everyone first time they apply for disability”. Arbitrariness is never a method in Social Security. Disability applications are filed at Social Security Office and are subject for evaluation. Completed disability applications are sent to a state agency called Disability Determination Services (DDS). At DDS, they are assigned to disability specialists known as Examiners. Examiners are individuals who make decisions on Social Security cases (at initial and Reconsideration Levels). Though not all are denied, it is frustrating to note that after months of waiting, 70% of population that applied for disability claims are denied! Another misguided information is that “Social Security denies you a certain number of times before you are approved and can receive disability benefits” should not be believed. During long wait for processing of disability / SSI claims applications, many different factors affect approval and/or denial of applications. Each case are different among others, thus, reasons for approval and/or denial, whether how many times are not always same. Meanwhile, a statement from your physician supporting your case cannot automatically get you approved for benefits. Why, of course! No one who ever passed a disability claim application at SSA with or without supporting statements of a physician have ever been automatically approved. Your physician’s medical report on your disability will have to go through inspection of DDS and eventually, if continually denied, into judgment of Administrative Law Judge to weigh facts presented if you are really entitled to benefits.
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