As our economy weakens and the availability of employment decreases, more and more people are turning to the government for help. Besides applying for things such as food stamps, those with disabilities who had never before attempted to acquire social security disability benefits are trying to do so now.
Obtaining disability benefits can be a long and arduous process, but there are things you can do to increase your chances of receiving these benefits. In addition to the required paperwork it is helpful to include things that make it easier for the government to determine whether you are eligible and meet the prerequisites for receiving benefits.
In medical cases, where one is looking to obtain benefits because they are unable to work due to their health situations, a medical board reviews a person’s health history and medical records. They will contact doctors to see if the claims being made are valid. In addition to this, it is helpful for these reviewers to have in hand paperwork that will prove a person is disabled or unable to work because of their poor health.
Aside from the necessary paperwork that a doctor will need to fill out for your case, it is also useful to have letters from doctors, nurses, and other health care professionals that are involved in your health care, stating the reasons that you cannot work. If you have journals that you have kept with your health history it may also be constructive to add parts of these to your paperwork.
Letters from friends and relatives can also be of use, though you must keep in mind that these are not letters based on the opinions of professionals and may not be taken into consideration as those that are written by your medical health care team might be. The reason they can be of use is because your friends and relatives interact with you on a daily basis and can give the medical review board an idea of what your daily lifestyle is like with the health problems you deal with. Remember, because these letters are not written by professionals, they should be kept short and to the point.
Credentials from previous employers and co-workers can show what your work life was like with your health issues. Especially if you had a tendency to be tardy, miss work or take time off due to doctor’s appointments, hospital stays, or other health related issues.
If you choose to add additional documentation to your case, remember that too much paperwork can be overwhelming for a board to have to review. It would be wise to only use what you feel would be absolutely accommodating to the medical review board in making a decision in your case.
The information I provide here not only comes from research but also from personal experience. I have used the approaches above to obtain what I feel is justified in my own case. As someone who has been “disabled” and denied these benefits, I have had the opportunity to learn much about how the government works when it comes to providing for its citizens. The methods described here were of great benefit to me and I hope will be for you as well.
Sources pertaining to social security disability benefits:
Qualifying for Social Security Disability Benefits
Basic Information on Social Security Disability Benefits
Application for Social Security Disability Benefits
Social Security Disability Resource Center