How to Apply for Social Security Disability

Millions of people apply for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSD or SSDI) each year. This U.S. government insurance program is funded by payroll taxes and activated by filing a claim. Unfortunately, the claim process is not simple and many people require Social Security disability help to get through it successfully. To prevent their claims from being denied, some individuals turn to a Social Security Disability expert for help.

The Disability Application

The disability application process can be started online without waiting for an appointment. Applications can also be made over the telephone or in person at a local Social Security Office. To get started, applicants should review the Adult Disability Checklist provided by the Social Security Administration and get a free evaluation from an SSD expert. This will help them gather information necessary for completing the Disability Benefit Application and Disability Report.

How To Apply for Social Security Disability

First, you should not attempt to file without having a professional on your side. A free evaluation (from our experts on this site!) is the first step you should take. A Disability Benefit Application can be completed online within ten to thirty minutes. If an individual completes an application for a person who is not present, the applicant must indicate that the claimant will not be able to sign the application at that time. Applicants who are visually impaired or blind should use the Internet Special Notices Option page to indicate preferred method of receiving Social Security notices.

An application can be completed and submitted in a single session or started and saved for later completion. Applicants have a right to representation by a Social Security disability attorney when they conduct business with Social Security. The Social Security Administration works with this representative just as it would with an unrepresented applicant. An attorney may only accept advance payment from a client if the money is held in an escrow or trust account.

A Social Security disability lawyer may obtain information from the applicant Social Security file and medical records that supports a claim. The attorney may also come with or as representative for the applicant at a Social Security conference, interview, or hearing. If the claimant or witnesses will be present at an SSDI hearing, the attorney may help these individuals prepare and might question the witnesses. Lawyers also request reconsideration of SSDI decisions, ask for hearings, and request reviews by the Appeals Council.

The Disability report is part of the SSDI claim process and may be completed online in a single or multiple sessions. Completing SSA Form-827, the Authorization to Disclose Information to the Social Security Administration is the final step in the application process. Once all the documents are completed and submitted, the claimant awaits a decision. Get a free evaluation and apply for social security disability today!