Published on: October 21, 2014
Here at Disability Experts of Florida, we’ve seen a lot of people get rejected for their initial Florida disability claim. While some rejections are inevitable, many valid claims that could have been processed successfully wind up getting denied.
It is important to remember that an initial rejection for a disability claim is not the end of the world or of the claims process. However, it can and does take time to appeal that rejection.
So, in order to make sure that the application process goes smoothly, it is important to be prepared for your disability claim when you file. To this end, it is important to ask yourself if you’re ready for your disability claim.
What Does Being Ready Mean?
Being ready for your disability claim doesn’t necessarily mean having a team of experts at your beck and call for your claim (though that certainly helps). Rather, being ready for your disability claim merely means having the basic paperwork ready while meeting the basic requirements for filing for SSDI.
To learn if you’re ready for your claim, you should take a long, hard look at your condition and make a serious assessment of your ability to work. Is there a realistic expectation that you could find gainful employment with your condition without requiring a potential employer to make unrealistic adjustments?
The key words in the previous question are “realistic expectation.” For example, if you were a construction worker who lost the use of your legs, it would not be realistic to expect you to take a job as a stock analyst, even though that may be a job that someone with training/experience in finance could do without the use of their legs. Now, if you did have a degree in finance that you had been working towards while working a different job, then that would factor into your disability claim.
How Do You Know if You’re Ready to File?
You’ll be prepared to file for your SSDI benefits claim when you have:
- Sufficient documentation of your disabling condition.
- Your proof of eligibility for Social Security (ID, SSN, birth certificate, etc.).
- Made a thorough assessment of your ability to continue working.
- Verified that you’ve met the work history requirements.
Each of the above bulleted points address a need for qualifying for disability.
Before you file for disability, you need to be prepared for the possibility that your claim will be denied. You’ll also need to be ready for the long haul, as a benefits claim, even a strong one, can take months to receive a decision from the Social Security Administration. Many strong claims are initially rejected on the smallest of technicalities, and being prepared to overcome this denial of your rightful claim is an important part of being ready for filing for disability.
In essence, you’ll be ready for disability when you have the paperwork you need to prove your claim, and the will to see your claim through to the end, even if it means a lengthy process of appeals.
When in Doubt, Remember that You’re Not Alone
If you find that you cannot seem to get approval for your disability claim, it may be time to ask for help from a dedicated team of disability advocates. With a locally-based team that has decades of combined experience in helping the people of Florida win their SSDI claims, DEF can streamline the process so you can spend your time focusing of your medical treatment instead of fighting the SSA.
