If you have a serious disability which has prevented you from earning an income or means that you now cannot work, you may be able to obtain a disability benefit from the Social Security Administration (SSA).
The SSDI pathway is for those who have sufficient work credits obtained from past employment, while the SSI pathway is an option for those with limited assets or income.
Whichever type of benefit may take many months to be approved; longer if an appeal is necessary. This means that you should start the application process as soon as you can.
When to Apply for a Disability Benefit
Always apply for a SSDI or SSI benefit as soon as possible as it can take anything from three to five months to have your benefit application approved, and longer if an appeal is necessary.
It makes sense to start the application process as soon as it becomes obvious that your disability is seriously affecting your ability to earn a living and you can no longer work or expect not to be able to work for the next 12 months at least.
First Steps to Apply
It’s important to start an application for a disability benefit as soon as possible, but this doesn’t mean that you should complete the application and file it with the SSA before making sure you have sufficient evidence to convince the SSA assessors that you are eligible for a benefit.
If you have become disabled you should investigate your chances of obtaining a disability benefit as soon as possible and make a determined effort to obtain the evidence you need to support a disability benefit claim.
When you have the necessary medical and other documentation to support your application for a benefit, you will need to complete the SSA’s disability application form and a Social Security disability report.
The first step is to complete the application for Social Security benefits and the Social Security disability report. The evaluation of your application for a benefit can take many months unless your disability is so severe that you qualify for fast tracking of your case through the Compassionate Allowance scheme.
Unfortunately, many disability benefit applications are often rejected initially, often because the medical evidence is not sufficient to convince SSA examiners that the disability is serious enough or doesn’t match the criteria for a disability as determined by the SSA.
A denied application can still be appealed, however, and many denied applications are eventually accepted because of a successful appeal.
Disability benefit appeals can prolong the whole benefit application process, which is another reason for getting your documentation as complete as possible in advance and applying as soon as you can.
Get a Free Case Evaluation
It can take many months to obtain a disability benefit from the SSA. It can take longer if necessary evidence of eligibility is missing. Appeals against denied benefit applications are often successful, but this prolongs the time taken to obtain a benefit. You may have ore chance of obtaining a benefit if you receive legal help from a disability att
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