If you are disabled or recently became disabled due to an injury or illness, your doctor or someone may have suggested you apply for Social Security Disability Benefits or SSDI. You may even know someone receiving these benefits and it seems to make their life somewhat easier because they have a monthly income and health insurance. However, no two people receive the same amount of SSDI, for instance, you may know someone that receives $500 while another person receives $1000 monthly. The difference in the amount you can receive is based on your past earnings and how much you put into social security. Therefore, the more you earned in the past, the higher your benefit amount will be.
Whether or not you are eligible to receive SSDI benefits depends on a number of factors, the most important of which is what kind of disabling injury or illness you have sustained and your prognosis as determined by a physician. There are some disabilities which are much easier to prove than others; for instance, a serious physical injury may be readily apparent, while severe depression is much more difficult to prove. Whatever your disability, you will have to receive a diagnosis and present documentation to verify your claims; even if yours is not a disability which can be easily seen, you should apply for SSDI benefits. If you are a US citizen (or have held LPR status since before August 22, 1996), then it is your right to apply for benefits from this program.
The length of time the initial application process takes is approximately 120 days, which can seem like an eternity for someone not making income or a reduced salary. After you make your initial application, you can expect to be sent to a doctor that the Social Security Administration (SSA) chooses. Even if all your doctors are behind you in your application, they will still send you to a third-party physician so they can see what his or her findings are based on their examination. These results are then sent to the SSA office and compared to what your doctor's findings.
After everything has been reviewed, you are either approved for SSDI or denied. You are sent a letter in the U.S. Mail either way. If you are approved, you will begin receiving your benefits on a monthly basis. If you are denied, which is a good possibility your first time out, you can appeal the decision, which is a normal process since many people are denied the first time they apply. You can choose to fight the denial on your own or at this point, you can hire an attorney to represent you.
One thing that everyone should know about the SSDI application process is that even if you have met all of the requirements for eligibility, your application may not be approved the first time or even the second time you apply. In many cases, it takes two or more years to start receiving SSDI benefits; but if you are disabled, it is your right to continue filing appeals until you are approved to receive benefits.
Whether or not you are eligible to receive SSDI benefits depends on a number of factors, the most important of which is what kind of disabling injury or illness you have sustained and your prognosis as determined by a physician. There are some disabilities which are much easier to prove than others; for instance, a serious physical injury may be readily apparent, while severe depression is much more difficult to prove. Whatever your disability, you will have to receive a diagnosis and present documentation to verify your claims; even if yours is not a disability which can be easily seen, you should apply for SSDI benefits. If you are a US citizen (or have held LPR status since before August 22, 1996), then it is your right to apply for benefits from this program.
The length of time the initial application process takes is approximately 120 days, which can seem like an eternity for someone not making income or a reduced salary. After you make your initial application, you can expect to be sent to a doctor that the Social Security Administration (SSA) chooses. Even if all your doctors are behind you in your application, they will still send you to a third-party physician so they can see what his or her findings are based on their examination. These results are then sent to the SSA office and compared to what your doctor's findings.
After everything has been reviewed, you are either approved for SSDI or denied. You are sent a letter in the U.S. Mail either way. If you are approved, you will begin receiving your benefits on a monthly basis. If you are denied, which is a good possibility your first time out, you can appeal the decision, which is a normal process since many people are denied the first time they apply. You can choose to fight the denial on your own or at this point, you can hire an attorney to represent you.
One thing that everyone should know about the SSDI application process is that even if you have met all of the requirements for eligibility, your application may not be approved the first time or even the second time you apply. In many cases, it takes two or more years to start receiving SSDI benefits; but if you are disabled, it is your right to continue filing appeals until you are approved to receive benefits.
About the Author:
If you've been denied Social Security benefits in Texas, speak with a Texas Social Security disability attorney. Social Security disability attorneys only charge a fee if they win your case.
0 comments
Post a Comment