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If you feel your illness or injury constitutes a debilitating injury that prevents you from earning a living, you should apply for benefits as soon as possible. Time is not on your side in Social Security disability cases. The faster you start the process, the sooner you’ll start seeing your benefits. While the process is reasonably easy to start, there are many steps your claim has to go through before you are awarded a decision. The Social Security Administration allows you to apply for your disability benefits in person at a local office, over the telephone, or online at their website.
Below is the information you will need to have ready when you begin the application process. Having as much of this documentation available as possible will save you time. If you are unable to locate some of this information, contact the SSA, as they may be able to help.
You can call the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213 at any time to begin your disability application. During your first call, you will schedule an interview either by phone or in person at your local Social Security office. The hard of hearing can use their TTY machine to call 1-800-325-0778 to schedule their initial interview. After your initial phone call, you will receive a Disability Starter Kit in the mail containing forms and information to prepare you for your interview. Make sure you look it over as soon as it arrives to familiarize yourself with the process and gather all the information you will need to present to your interviewer.
By visiting the Social Security Administration website (www.ssa.gov) and selecting “Disability Benefits” from that page, you can begin your application. Once completed, you will print your application documents and either mail them or deliver them in person to your local Social Security office. For those comfortable using the internet, this is often the most straightforward option to begin their claim.
Visit the SSA website’s office locator (https://secure.ssa.gov/ICON/main.jsp) and enter your ZIP code for the nearest location to you. Once there, you can schedule your initial interview for a later date. These offices are often very busy – it may be quicker and easier to use another method for this initial step to your claim.
Once your application is completed, you can expect a significant wait time to hear back about a decision. Every bit of information you have provided will be checked, and you may even have further information requested from your medical providers. Additional exams or medical tests may be asked of you at this stage as well in order to further evaluate your ailment.
The process of obtaining Social Security disability benefits can be long, complicated, and confusing. However, you do not have to tackle it on your own! Contact Murray, Rose & Associates for help with your application as well as guidance through every step afterward!