To describe the Social Security disability application process as complicated is an understatement. Being approved for the benefits you may deserve is challenging. The approval rate for claims varies throughout the country, however, the national average indicates that about 36% of initial claims are approved – therefore around 64% are DENIED.
You can appeal the initial denial of your claim by filing a request for reconsideration. This stage, however, has the lowest approval rate of ALL disability claim levels – the national average is only 13.8%. The Social Security Regulations are stringent and allow the decision makers to deny more claims than they approve.
To best your chances of you claim ultimately being approved it is important to start with a detailed and accurate initial claim. There are changes you can make to your initial application that could significantly increase the odds of approval in YOUR favor.
First, as best you can, complete your initial claim form in detail and be very descriptive as to how your impairments have impacted your daily life – your ability to perform daily activities, function socially, and maintain attention and concentration to get simple tasks done.
Second, make sure you are receiving consistent and specialized treatment for your medical impairments. Documentation is key in these claims. Medical evidence is the main requirement in proving disability.
Third, make sure you are as accurate as you can be describing the physical and mental demands of your past work. This can be VERY important if you are over 50 years of age. Most of the time your actual job title is not as important as you describing the actual physical and mental demands of a typical days work.
All-in-all, the application process is overwhelming. The above steps are just a few of my suggestions. The most important piece of advice is to contact an attorney with experience in these matters.
