Social Security disability is a very complicated, tedious affair. One small mistake can delay your claim by months or even years. A small omission or using the wrong wording can get your claim denied.
That's why it's better to get someone to help who knows the rules and has a lot of experience dealing with the Social Security Administration.
Here are a FEW examples of how a mistake on your application or appeal can cost you dearly:
Wrong Onset Date. You will be asked to provide an alleged onset date. Your claim can potentially pay back to this date. Use the wrong date and you may lose thousands of dollars in pay.
Income After Your Alleged Onset Date (AOD): If you have non-earned (non-job related) income after your AOD, Social Security may mistakenly use that to deny your claim. It is important to identify such income and explain it to Social Security in the beginning.
Insufficient Work Credits. I recently represented a person who had a catastrophic disease. He had been denied because of "insufficient work credits." Turns out, he had enough work credits but his former employer had not reported his income. We got that corrected and the claimant was approved in less than 10 days.
Failure to Return a Form. If you fail to return a form, questionnaire, or any requested information it can delay or deny your claim. Some forms are confusing and difficult to understand.
Lack of Medical Proof. The burden of proving medical disability always rests upon the claimant. What you think is proof may not be acceptable to Social Security. You need to be part detective to find and recover medical information that will get your claim approved. It takes a lot of work.
Misunderstanding terms (the "Lingo"). Social Security speaks to itself and to you in their own unique language: Title 2, Title 16, Date Last Insured, Specific Vocational Preparation, Alleged Onset Date, exertion levels, Substantial Gainful Activity.......on and on. It's helpful to have someone who understands these unfamiliar terms and how they apply to your claim.
At the Forsythe Firm, we understand Social Security disability because it's all we do: Social Security law and nothing else. Call us for a free consultation with no cost, no obligation and no pressure. We can often answer all your questions over the phone in less than 10 minutes. If you require legal representation, we never charge a fee unless you are approved and recover past due benefits.
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THE FORSYTHE FIRM
PHONE (256) 799-0297 Email us: forsythefirm@gmail.com
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