When you cannot work because of a disabling medical condition, the financial stress becomes overwhelming. Disability benefits through Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income make life somewhat easier, but the initial waiting period for disability approval could be six to eight months. If you must appeal a denied claim, the waiting period for disability approval can be years instead of months.
As you wait for approval, hanging over you like a dark cloud is knowing that the Social Security Administration’s initial application review process annually denies more than two-thirds of claims it receives for disability benefits. You can appeal a denial of benefits, which only adds to the lengthy disability benefits processing time.
The disability lawyers at Sackett and Associates have been helping disabled individuals throughout Northern California and nationwide for 45 years. Here is an explanation of the disability approval letter timeline and tips for avoiding unnecessary delays or claim denials.
Initial Application Process For Disability Benefits
The process to get benefits for disability from SSI and SSDI starts by submitting an application using one of the following methods:
- Online at the Social Security website.
- At a local Social Security field office.
- By telephone on weekdays by contacting the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213. Hearing impaired individuals may use the TTY number 1-800-325-0778.
You can facilitate the application submission process by gathering the following documents and information that may be needed:
- Your full name and current address.
- Date and place of birth.
- If you were born outside of the United States, the number from your permanent resident card.
- Marriage and divorce information, including spouse’s name and date of birth. If a marriage was terminated by divorce or annulment, the date of the final judgment or court order.
- Names and dates of birth of your children.
- Veterans must provide dates of service, branch, and type of duty in the U.S. military.
- Details about your employment history for the past two years.
- Names, contact information, and dates of service for all health care professionals and facilities providing that you’ve consulted for diagnosis, care, or treatment of your medical or mental health conditions causing you to be disabled and unable to work.
You’ll also need a checking or savings account at a bank or credit union to directly deposit the disability benefits. The Social Security Administration no longer pays monthly benefits with checks, so have the bank’s routing number and your account number available. The more information you gather and have on hand before filling out an application, the less chance of making a mistake or omitting essential information that could delay approval or result in a denial of your claim.
Application Review Process
When you submit an application for disability benefits, a review at the local field office determines whether it meets the non-medical criteria for eligibility for SSI or SSDI. SSI grants benefits based on financial need, so you cannot exceed strict limitations on income and resources. For example, resources, which include property and bank deposits, cannot have a cumulative value exceeding $2,000 for individuals and $3,000 for eligible couples.
A qualifying work history is the non-medical hurdle applicants for SSDI must clear. You must have worked at jobs subject to payment of Social Security taxes for long enough to earn enough work credits. Some of the work credits must be recently earned. The number of work credits depends on your age at the onset of disability, with younger workers requiring fewer credits than someone older when they become disabled.
If you meet the non-medical requirements for eligibility, the claim goes to a Disability Determination Services office to review the medical documentation. The DDS offices are state agencies funded by the Social Security Administration.
Applications for disability benefits must be supported by medical records proving that a claimant has a medically determinable physical or mental impairment preventing the person from doing substantial gainful work activities. The impairments must have lasted, or be expected to last, for a continuous 12-month period or be expected to result in death.
How Long Is The Disability Approval Letter Timeline?
According to the Social Security Administration, it currently takes six to eight months for an application to go through the initial review process. If your claim is denied, the appeal process to win approval could add years to the Social Security disability letter timeframe. You can avoid unnecessary delays by reviewing your application for mistakes and omissions, contacting medical professionals to get them to respond quickly to requests for medical documentation, and cooperating with Social Security and DDS by promptly scheduling medical examinations they request.
Avoid Unnecessary Delays By Contacting Sackett Law
The disability team at Sackett Law has more than four decades of experience with the Social Security disability system to give your claim the best chance of approval while also working to avoid delays. Contact us today for a free consultation.
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