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WHY IS SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY (SSDI) SO HARD TO GET?

Why are you having such a hard time getting Social Security disability?

There could be many reasons, but let's look a few of the most common ones:

You may be covered.  SSDI benefits do not cover everyone.  Only workers who have worked a qualifying job and earned a sufficient number of "work credits" are insured for SSDI.  Those who never worked, or who haven't worked in recent years, may not have coverage.  So, no coverage, no benefits.

You may not be disabled under the Social Security rules.  Everybody has their own definition of "disability," and Social Security has the strictest rules in the world.  As a baseline, your condition must be so severe that it makes it impossible for you to work AND it must have lasted for at least 12 straight months OR is expected to end in death.

You don't have concrete objective medical evidence.  There must be a mountain of objective medical evidence to demonstrate the severity of your impairment(s).  It isn't enough just to have a medical impairment; you must also prove that it is very severe.

You may be lost in the Paper Jungle or in the Sea of Red Tape. Just properly completing all the forms and questionnaires can be daunting.  Fail to return one form and you may get denied.

You face enormous odds.  Only about one-fourth of all new SSDI claims will be approved at the application level. Three-fourths will be denied.  Fortunately, many of those denials can be overturned and won on appeal--but many claimants give up and don't appeal.

You are at the back of a long line.  Hundreds of thousands of Americans file new disability claims each year.  Social Security attempts to process the claims in the order they were filed.  But the system is horribly log jammed.  This back log creates a long wait for a decision--perhaps up to one year or more to receive the initial determination.  

Is There Help?

Nothing is going to make the Social Security disability process fast or easy.  However, a consultation with a lawyer experienced in SSDI may help you.  You can get a free initial consultation.  If you decide to hire the lawyer, (s)he can't charge you a fee until your case has been successful.  To receive a fee, your lawyer must help you win your case and receive past due benefits.  The fee may only be paid out of past due benefits.

________________________

The Forsythe Firm, Charles W. Forsythe, Disability Specialist:  7027 Old Madison Pike at Bridge Street, Huntsville, AL. (256) 799-0297.

 

 

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