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What Can I Do to Improve My Chances of Winning Disability BenefitsGiven the fact that only 3 out of 10 applicants are approved for disability benefits the first time around, and that there is no set deadline by which an applicant can expect to receive a decision in his or her case (the average wait time for a decision regarding disability benefits is 3 to 4 months, although some cases can take more than a year to decide), it’s a good idea for those applying for disability to do all they can to ensure that their claim is decided quickly and favorably. The question is, what, if anything, can disability applicants do to improve their chances of winning disability benefits? The answer to this question depends on which level of consideration the claim is at in the disability determination process. If you are just starting out in the process and filing a claim for SSD or SSI benefits with social security for the first time, you can help your case a lot by making sure that you provide a complete, detailed medical and work history for the disability examiner in your case. This will include all appropriate contact information, including correct names, addresses, and phone numbers of treating physicians, medical facilities, work supervisors, etc. You can also strengthen your case by providing a written statement from your physician(s) describing your condition in detail, and telling exactly how it limits your ability to perform at work. In fact, it’s a good idea to tell your doctor up front that you are filing for disability, and see if he or she is supportive in this matter (if not, strongly consider seeing a new doctor for treatment of your medical symptoms). All disability cases are determined by a disability examiner based on what is written in your medical records, so the best way to help your case in the initial disability application stage is to get as much relevant medical information to your disability examiner as quickly as possible. If you feel that a reaching a decision in your case is taking too long, it doesn’t hurt to call the examiner assigned to your case to ask if there’s anything you can do to help move things along—sometimes physicians, even those sympathetic to disability claims, are very slow to respond to requests for medical records. You may be able to help your case simply by going down to your doctor’s office and picking up the documents yourself, then hand-delivering them to the state disability determinations office. If, after reviewing your medical information, the disability examiner has rejected your application for disability, and your case has been rejected by the disability examiner yet again on reconsideration appeal, then your next step is to request a disability hearing. The one thing applicants can do that will improve their chances of winning disability benefits at this point is to retain an experienced disability lawyer to present the case to an administrative judge at the hearing. Statistics show that disability cases in which a claimant is represented by an attorney have a 60 percent chance of being approved (not bad at all when compared to the 30 percent approval rate at the initial claim stage). A good disability lawyer can also help you to evaluate your case and determine any weaknesses in your medical history, as well as submit your most recent medical records for the judge’s review prior to the hearing. Most importantly, your attorney will present your case in the strongest possible light and, having a thorough knowledge of disability laws in your state, will be able to point out any errors in the disability examiner’s original conclusions that may have prevented you from winning disability benefits the first time around. For more information on: Social Security Disability and SSI Disability.
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