Read Amaryllis’ Disability Tips from a Former Social Worker, “Ivy spent two years applying for disability and got denied at a hearing. SSDI is kind of like taking retirement benefits early—and if approved, it’s about the same dollar amount. Plumeria’s Disability Cover Letter, Six things Sweet Pea before applying: Reading about Social Security disability; creating a spreadsheet of medical history; collecting all medical records; collecting doctor letters; asking for help; submitting all documents together all at once along with application. If you know individuals who have applied for disability, you may have heard the idea that you have to apply a certain number of times before you get approved. The Examiner thanked Plumeria for organizing everything so well. Disability Application to Hearing. Getting disability benefits is not easy unless you have an extremely severe or terminal illness; most people who apply for disability are denied benefits because the SSA believes there is some type of job they can do. There are exceptions as there should be but that is for cases with special circumstances and such. Don’t worry, if this happens, you get a second chance! This date may or may not be the same date you think you became disabled. I told him that it’s so difficult having strangers pick apart my life and mental status — they don’t know me and what I go through. and started receiving benefits!!! I got approved in 5 months, using the advice from this site. However, it was worth it! I credit this site with the fact that I was approved in four months (while being in my low 20s and still working part-time the whole time I was applying). This page is part of the free online guide: The Sleepy Girl Guide to Social Security Disability. One affects the other. How to Help a Friend Get Approved for Disability, “My mom (who works in healthcare) recommended that I get all my medical charts starting when I first got sick. They do amazing work and help many people approved quickly. You get a second chance! According to Tim Moore, a former disability examiner for the SSA, the first step in the long claims approval process is to send your Social Security disability benefits application to a state disability agency, which is also called Disability Determination Services (DDS). Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. Before I applied, I collected four written letters from doctors. Then, when she became disabled after a car accident, she used the same techniques to get approved for disability herself. ( Log Out /  They still requested records they wanted, but I think it helped I sent in so much. I submitted my application along with all documents by FedEx to the local Social Security Office.” How to Collect All Your Medical Records. You are still welcome to leave comments and we hope that other readers will come by to reply. Others wait until they at the hearing stage. For example, if your disability began on June 15, 2018, your first benefit would be paid for the month of December 2018, the sixth full month of disability. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. I am thrilled! Very glad to hear that you were approved so quickly. “I waited four months before applying. When Will It Come? The disability application process is often complex and time-consuming. The attorney attached their name to my case and didn’t have to do anything to get it. Learn more about How Marigold Got Approved. This page is part of the free online guide: How to Find a Doctor to Help with Documentation, How to Work with Your Doctor to Get Great Documentation, How to Help a Friend Get Approved for Disability. 3.) After applying online, I sent everything in. I’d love for my story to help someone else. Many of our readers report that they got their best help from friends or family for a new application. I delayed applying, thinking maybe I’d magically get better and go back to normal, but that never happened and I’m actually worse now, so I’m glad I did it. Follow up and stay in touch with your disability advocate. Recently, she did an amazing job helping her friend Magnolia get approved for disability (in two months!) The denial of Disability benefits are quite common in Social Security, especially when learning how to apply for Disability benefits for the first time and hoping to get approved. Often because records went lost or missing or got dismissed or overlooked. I learned yesterday that I was approved! Find Out if You Can Get Disability. So glad I discovered this. Don’t get discouraged. Social Security Says, "A Medical Decision Has Been Made". I really followed most the advice on this site. That is how long it took me to gather every record and every piece of information. Social security wants to make sure you are actively getting medical care. The typical disability application takes 2-3 years. Of course, sooner is always better! Increase Your Chances of Getting Approved the First Time You Apply, How to Have Doctor Visits That Create Accurate Records, Laurel Gets Two Great Letters and Two Great Forms. Go to EVERY SINGLE doctor’s appointment, lab, test, surgery, follow up… Everything. how long did it take before you got approved? This has some very useful info that I needed! It’s an incredible labor of love. And with certain medical conditions or impairments, waiting that long for SSD payments means skipping doctor visits (or worse). Rosemary Makes a Medical Outline. I didn’t even know I could hire a lawyer. I shared this letter with another family, and they got approved even faster than we were!” Dr. Rowe’s Outstanding Letter for POTs and ME/CFS, Rose’s doctors were not quite sure what was wrong and she did not have a clear diagnosis. I’m not sure I would have had the stamina to go through appeals and deal with lawyers. 7 thoughts on “How Can I Get Approved for Disability the First Time I Apply?” Anonymous August 20, 2019 3:46 pm Reply. I’m glad I took my time and learned how to do it the right way, because it paid off. Social Security Disability Benefits Approval the First Time. He told me that our job is to make them understand my life on my worst days. “It took weeks of work on my part and I needed help along the way. In the four month span of time it took for me to be approved, I accumulated a little over 1000 pages of medical documents. 5. This is very helpful. It’s called “Request for Reconsideration.” This is a short appeal step where you don’t have to go to a hearing: How I Won My Request for Reconsideration, “The Sleepy Girl Guide to Disability was a great resource for my application process. The first thing I did was download and print out the application. It’s expensive, but way cheaper than a lawyer and if you follow it step-by-step, take your time, and collect all your medical records, it should get you approved. Even for medical conditions that automatically qualify for disability (and there are only a few), there are financial or legal requirements that need to be met before someone gets approved for disability. (HUD, Section 8 & Low Income Housing). “I also got a letter from the Human Resources department of my past employer stating all the disability accommodations I had needed and explaining how we had tried and failed to keep me at work for as long as we could. Susan discovered she had an illness on the Compassionate Allowance List, a special list of conditions that are approved quickly. Thank you so much for writing such helpful articles! Even if an individual does not meet or equal an impairment listing, they still may be approved the first time they apply for disability if they are able to get through the five-step sequential evaluation process that Social Security uses on every disability case decision. Send everything you can. How to Stay In Touch with Your Disability Examiner. ( Log Out /  ( Log Out /  She was approved without a lawyer, in the reconsideration process. The Sleepy Girl Guide to Disability also has very helpful info. It is cruel and helps no one to make folks trying to help you feel unnecessarily bad. If you were not approved the first time, some states have a reconsideration stage where you get a second chance! Everything listed above also applies to the Reconsideration stage. Kinda prevents any uneeded cradle to grave bill so to speak. I’ve attempted to take my life 2x and had 20+ years of hospitalizations. I worked in the court system for many years, and I assure you there is nothing an attorney can do for you that you cannot do yourself. She did not let this discourage her. Just don’t give up! My application was a full ream thick. Then I was laid off, my unemployment was running out, and I became bedridden with trigeminal neuralgia. Your diagnosis needs to be clearly defined and … Also: kindly let us know if any links on this page stop working. Social Worker Disability Assessment Forms. This is the date Social Security decided you became disabled. I’m gonna be honest.” When doctors asked me ‘How are you?’ I would just tell them. 2.) Can A Lawyer Help Me Get Approved More Quickly? Every case is different, but there is very real hope. Attorneys can get up to $6,000 (sometimes higher at higher levels). The way I figured it. Have not moved away from my laptop since! Many of our readers had great records but then discovered their most important documents were either lost, overlooked, placed in the wrong file, or never received. This process is not always fast. What Does this Mean? Epic Master List of Disability Accommodation Letters for Housing. This is dependent on how your condition affects your ability to perform the basic activities of daily living (BADL), not by rigid definitions of medical conditions or disabilities. You can do this by making an appointment at your local Social Security office. “Although I was was very seriously ill and could not cook, clean, shop, drive, or even walk down the street, most of my tests had come back “normal.” I could not afford special tests and was not well enough to travel to see more doctors. Now, waiting for my determination. It is true that the majority of social security disability applications are denied following the initial application. They received the standard percentage for it. You may also be interested in this list of facebook groups where you can share information, advice, and stories with other people who are disabled: https://howtogeton.wordpress.com/2019/08/02/facebook-groups/. Social Workers can help you fill out and submit the basic forms, but many Social Workers are not trained in techniques to improve disability case. It was the first time we applied. Stories on this page come from people with ME, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Lyme, POTS, or related conditions. I felt that advice was good.  How I Got Approved for Disability QUICKLY – Super smart stories from super smart readers who took super smart steps to get approved super quick:  How to Request Reconsideration – Sometimes someone does everything perfectly, and still gets denied. Super smart people who did super smart things to get approved for Social Security disability the first time they applied. I was approved for and began receiving SSDI in four months on my first attempt (thank God!). While there are no guarantees in this world, and it does not work in all cases, many of our readers have found that by taking steps to improve their applications at the very beginning, they were able to get approved in 6 months or less. I also listed all the doctors I see regularly with complete mailing addresses, fax and telephone numbers. Only would like to have found less than 3 years ago when I applied for SSI. ”, Dr. Rowe’s Outstanding Letter for POTs and ME/CFS, How I Got Approved for Disability Using Compassionate Allowance Rules, Buttercup Makes the Best Application Ever Seen, Disability Tips from a Former Social Worker, Daisy Helps Her Mom Get Approved for Disability, How Poppy Won Her Disability Reconsideration, How to Stay In Touch with Your Disability Examiner, How to Help a Friend Get Approved for Disability, Stimulus Checks for Adults Who are Dependents, Three Places to Sign Up For Stimulus Checks, How to Get Groceries Delivered with SNAP Food Stamps (EBT), How To Get a Stimulus Check if You Don't File Taxes, Stimulus Checks Tips for Parents (Including Parents of Adult Disabled Children). ( Log Out /  I filed for disability in April and studied everything on the site. Wonderful post! SSA still gave them $1900 of backpay. Learning how the system works and … If you don’t get approved the first time, don’t despair. Medical Requirements for Social Security Disability. If your application is approved, your first Social Security benefit will be paid for the sixth full month after the date we find that your disability began. This one is very important! That we have to convey that message. Even when it comes to children. It came to 80 pages. Poppy Gets Approved in 10 Months. Hope this helps and best of luck.”. If you don’t get approved the first time, don’t despair. I do have other health conditions, which I also wrote on my application, but I was approved for the Blue Book listing. I have CFS and hope to soon have a diagnosis. That seemed more appropriate to me being a layperson. To qualify, you must have worked in a job that withholds FICA taxes for 5-10 years first. What Does this Mean? Carmen Gets Approved in Two Months I have CFS and hope to soon have a diagnosis. I got approved last week!!!!!! If you would like to hire a lawyer, there is no charge upfront: Don’t Kill Your Application – Try not to do these things. Once you’ve determined if you qualify, you’ll need to complete all the medical paperwork as outlined by the CRA, nam… And one thing she did after applying: Staying in touch with the Social Security Disability Examiner. I had all my medical records together, the names of my doctors, hospital, contact information for the doctors, upcoming doctor appointments - that is one of the questions asked - when is your next appointment. Does a Lawyer Help a New Disability Application? Advocate is not comfortable being your “ partner ” – find someone else!!!!!!. Kindly let us know if any links on this fabulous website as, you get a chance. Sentence and then described how it fit my situation Allowance and the things write... Advocate! ” learn More about how Holly Gets approved in two months! ) stamina go! 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M so grateful for this invaluable site to stay in touch with your own best advocate! how to get approved for disability the first time learn about! Collected her medical records myself up front – one physical and one thing she did after applying Staying! Grave bill so to speak last week thanked Plumeria for organizing everything so well just! Your diagnosis needs to be clearly defined and … the next step actually! But Gets her first check before she is even approved please comment below with your doctor. Lawyer may or may not be the same date you think you became disabled a! For cases with special circumstances and such really hope this works for me when i applied, i received first... Sent - check your email addresses process is often complex and time-consuming 5-10 years first you... Much rather put the work in on the site happens, you are disabled can. Kind of like taking retirement benefits early—and if approved, make sure you are commenting your. 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