If you have recently become disabled, you may be entitled to social security disability benefits. But making a successful claim is easier said than done. If you are going to apply for disability payments, you'll want to make sure you take your time with your application and avoid any potential mistakes that could torpedo your chances. Here are three mistakes you want to avoid when filing for social security disability.
1. Waiting Too Long to File
Ideally, you will want to file for social security disability as soon as you can after becoming disabled. The longer you wait, the more medical records there will be to sort through and the more chances for some kind of paperwork error to arise. If you wait a significant amount of time, the reviewer may note that you've gotten along just fine without the payments for some time and look at your application with a more critical eye.
2. Submitting Only Your Medical Records
While your official medical records are obviously important for your disability claim, there is a lot more to it if you want to ensure your success. For starters, you should ask your doctor to give you not just a copy of your records but an actual letter in which the doctor vouches for your claims. The doctor could also note how the disability is affecting your daily life.
Next, consider sending in a journal in which you personally document your hardships. If you experience pain or other hardships on a daily basis, make a note of this every time it happens in the days prior to sending in your claim. You want to give the reviewer as clear of a picture as possible as to how the disability is affecting your life.
3. Filing a Claim Without Help From an Attorney
For best results, you should hire a social security disability attorney to assist with your claim. A good attorney will understand the process better than you because they've helped other people through it before. They'll be able to double check your work for mistakes that could affect your application and ensure that you are presenting an accurate and complete picture of your problems.
When filing a social security disability, know that you have the right to file as soon as you become disabled and do not need to wait any given amount of time. When submitting your claim, paint as complete a picture as possible, including a letter from your doctor and a personal journal of your hardships if it makes sense. Finally, don't file your claim without having a lawyer look it over first.
For more information, check out a website like http://www.socialsecurityesq.com.
