Applying for Social Security Disability Benefits can baffling, frustrating and even frightening. You may wonder “why is your application being denied when it is clear that your impairments are severe and obvious.
It should seem obvious that you cannot do your old job, much less any other job in my condition and limitations. It is natural to wonder if anyone at the Social Security Administration has even read your medical records. The whole process is as mysterious as a big, black box. Nothing seems to be happening. Who knows what is really going on?
Be aware that initial claims for Social Security Disability ("SSDI") or Supplemental Security Income ("SSI") are often denied. What most claimants don’t realize, however, is that the Social Security Administration uses specific rules and regulations for the initial determination.
The criteria, or basic definitions that Social Security Administration uses to define disability, are very limited & deliberately fuzzy. For example, a vast number of disabling conditions are not listed or even mentioned in the list or definitions of conditions that Social Security Administration considers disabling. The definitions or descriptions of severity of the listed conditions are not black and white. Although the process of applying for disability can make you feel alone, ashamed or embarrassed, we can offer reassurance.
The loss of security and self-reliance most claimants feel is already difficulty enough. It only adds insult to injury when it seems that the Social Security Administration had not even paid attention to your statements, reviewed your medical records, or listened to your doctors.
The human mind and body are complex and fragile. Each of us is unique. It is not “one size fits all” when it comes to how we function, how we feel and experience things, and how an illness, injury or condition will affect us.
Waiting for the Social Security Administration to make a decision on your claim is terrible. During this time, individuals who have applied are likely to be going into debt, using up their life savings, may be losing their homes, tearing apart their families, losing their cars, or just struggling to buy groceries each week. Many people who are accustomed to being self-sufficient, productive at work and at home, earning a good income and being rewarded for their skills become depressed because of their losses.
Your lifestyle is drastically affected. Because of the impact on you, your home and on families, worry and despair are common reactions to denial of benefits. The anxiety and worry make all the other problems worse.
Coping with the complexity of the Social Security Administration without the experience and guidance of an experienced representative makes this application process riskier, and more painful and difficult than it needs to be. Combined with the inability to do what you used to do at home & at work, the problem of dealing with the stress & anxiety associated with applying for Social Security Disability all alone is unnecessary and overwhelming. We will be there for you along the way to guide you and help you earn the benefits you deserve.