SSDRC




What is the Application Process for Social Security Disability and SSI?

How do you Win Benefits under Social Security Disability or SSI?

If I am determined disabled, how far back will Social Security pay benefits?

How do you prove your disability case if you have a mental condition?

What Can I Do to Improve My Chances of Winning Disability Benefits

Common Mistakes after Receiving a Denial of Social Security Disability or SSI Benefits

How to File for Disability - Tips for Filing

If You Get Approved For SSDI Will You Also Get Medicare?

How much does a Social Security disability attorney get paid?

Social Security Disability SSI Criteria and the Evaluation Process

How long does it take to be approved for SSI or Social Security disability?

What do you Need to Prove to Qualify for Disability Benefits?

Social Security Disability SSI and Fibromyalgia

Social Security Disability SSI and Degenerative Disc Disease

Can I Qualify For Disability and Receive Benefits based on Depression?

Answers to questions about SSD and SSI disability

What Disabilities Qualify for SSI and Social Security Disability Benefits?

Social Security Disability Status

Social Security Disability Tips — how a claim gets worked on

Social Security Disability, SSI Disability - Terms, Definitions, Concepts


Should I List My Past Depression Medications on My Social Security Disability or SSI Application?


How to prove you are disabled
and win disability benefits

 
If we answer this question in a technical manner, we can say "no, your past medications do not matter". In fact, when you file your claim you will only be asked to provide a list of your current medications. Having said that, though, disability examiners like to have the full picture of an applicant’s limitations before making a decision on a claim. If the examiner finds a reference to a particular medication in your medical records and you have not explained or disclosed it, he may feel he needs more information before approving or denying your claim.

Even if you are not currently taking the medications, or have stopped taking them for a long period of time but have begun taking them again, they could be relevant to your disability case. For instance, if you are filing for a claim on the basis of an affective disorder illness such as depression, noting in your medical history that you have taken medication in the past for your condition can help the examiner establish when your symptoms first began, or the onset date. Typically, the earlier the onset date, the more back pay you may be entitled to receive if you are approved for benefits.

In addition, you can file a claim based on not just one, but a combination of medical conditions. If you are no longer able to perform your current job due to back pain, for instance, it is less likely that a disability examiner will determine you are able to perform other, less physical work if you are also suffering from crippling depression.

When it comes to filing for disability, you should include any information that can help an examiner understand the full impact of your medical condition on your ability to work. Disability applications are evaluated based on both the severity of your illness and your ability to perform any work that pays a monthly wage equal to or greater than the current SGA, or substantial gainful activity amount.














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Individual Questions and Answers


  • Making a Request for a Disability Hearing

  • How Many Times Will Social Security Disability Deny You before You Get Approved?

  • Advice to Win Social Security Disability and SSI Benefit Claims

  • Disability Lawyer Success Rate - Do Lawyers Improve The Chances of Winning?

  • Are you allowed to receive VA benefits and Social Security Disability at the same time ?

  • Filing for Disability - Can you speed up the Social Security Disability process?

  • Applying for disability benefits in Florida

  • What If you intended an appeal of your Social Security Disability claim but missed the deadline?

  • How Far Back Does Social Security Look At Your Medical Records for an SSDI or SSI Case?

  • Can You Get Approved For SSI or SSD Benefits IF You Have A Mental Condition But Do Not Take Medication?

  • How does Social Security Disability Decide if you can Work or Not?

  • What is a Social Security Disability SSI Durational Denial?

  • What conditions do they Award Disability Benefits for?

  • Can You File For Disability While Receiving Unemployment?

  • Do the Results of the Social Security Psychological Exam have any Bearing on Being Approved?

  • Social Security Disability And SSI Qualifications - What is the examiner looking for?

  • When do you need a Disability Lawyer for a Case?

  • Filing for Social Security disability- what to bring when you apply

  • How long will it take to receive Social Security disability after you have been approved?

  • How to Apply for Disability - Where do I go to apply for disability ?

  • Can You Apply For Disability When You Lose Your Job?

  • How Long Will My Case Be at the Social Security Hearing Office Before It gets Scheduled?

  • What will trigger a review of a social security disability claim?

  • What kind of cases win disability benefits ?

  • Hiring a Qualified Disability Lawyer in South Carolina

  • Pancreatitis, Social Security Disability, and Applying for Benefits

  • If I am Awarded Social Security Disability Will My Benefits be Cutoff Later?

  • What Are The Reasons For Social Security Disability Cases Being Denied?
























    SSD and SSI are Federal Programs

    The title II Social Security Disability and title 16 SSI Disability programs operate under federal guidelines and, therefore, the program requirements--medical and non-medical--apply to all states:

    Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming

    Recent approval and denial statistics for various states can be viewed here:

    Social Security Disability, SSI Approval and Denial Statistics by state

    Special Section: Disability Lawyers and unnecessary claim denials