Posts Tagged ‘Applying’

How long after you complete your application for Social Security disability benefits (or Supplemental Security Income – SSI benefits), does it take to get a decision?
In Colorado where I practice, it usually takes between four and six months after you apply to get the initial decision. Sometimes, Social Security will describe this as between 120 [...]

If you wonder if you are eligible for Social Security benefits, Social Security has an interactive website to help you answer this question.
Visit Social Security’s BEST (Benefit Eligibility Screening Tool). 
BEST checks if you are eligible for the following benefits:

Medicare
Social Security Disability
Social Security Retirement
Social Security Survivors
Special Veterans
Supplemental Security Income

Have you tried BEST, share your experiences in the comments!

Social Security has a fact sheet answering common questions about Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits for disabled children:

How does Social Security decide if a child is disabled?
How can I get ready for the disability interview?
How does Social Security decide if a child can get SSI?
How will I know what Social Security has decided?
Will my personal information [...]

There are several ways to start an application for Social Security benefits:
At your local Social Security office
While this make take the longest amount of time (depending on the wait times at your local office), applying in person has the advantage of having a live person to ask to if you have a question.  The downside [...]

Tim Moore writes about his experience with claimants who wait patiently for Social Security to contact them after filing a claim or an appeal:
In the case of disability applications, some found that while they continued to wait on an answer, a decision had already been made on their case. In fact, the decision had been [...]

Are you struggling with working because of physical or psychological impairments?  Have you stopped working because you just could no longer do the job?
You may be going back and forth on whether to apply for Social Security:
Maybe I will get better.  But, what will I do if I am not able to go back to [...]

Did you know that Social Security has a fact sheet on “What You Should Know Before You Apply For Social Security Disability Benefits?” 

How does Social Security decide if I am disabled?
My doctor says I am disabled.  Is that enough to qualify me for disability benefits?
I am getting disability payments from my job or another agency, [...]

I recently came across this advice on Gather about keeping copies of all the forms Social Security asks you to fill out.
Make sure everything is consistent the whole way through all of your paperwork and conversations. Keep copies for yourself …. they do read all of the forms. That is why I am saying that you must be consistent the whole way through. [...]

My Colorado clients sometimes tell me that they waited years to apply for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. When I ask them why, I get a number of reasons:

I did not want to appear needy.
I did not want to believe I was disabled.
I did not want to look [...]

Dr. Fink of The Bipolar Blog has compiled a great list of suggestions when you are filing for Social Security disability benefits.

Consult your doctor and therapist.
Keep your doctor appointments.
Have your doctor complete an RFC form for you.
Document everything.
File immediately.
Appeal.
Keep copies.

This is just a summary, the article goes into quite a bit of detail.
However, I do [...]

I often hear the following question:
I just got my Social Security denial letter. Should I appeal or re-apply?
While every case is different, based on my experiences handling Social Security claims in Colorado, I often find the you stand a better chance by appealing rather than re-applying.
As I mentioned in an earlier article, if you re-apply, [...]