How To Apply For Medical Disability

How Long Will It Take

Insurance Information : How to File for Medical Disability

The SSA can take three to six months to determine if you meet their disability qualifications. At that time, they will notify you on whether youve been approved or if your application has been rejected.

If your application is rejected, dont lose hope. Many, if not most, disability applications are denied the first time. However, once an application is denied, you have a short window of time to file an appeal. You should consider hiring a lawyer who is experienced with disability claims.

In fact, you may want to contact one early in the process to help improve your odds of a quick approval. A lawyer is well versed with some of the most common causes of initial rejections and can help you take a proactive approach to filing for disability.

Benefits For Disabled Widows Or Widowers

If something happens to a worker, benefits may be payable to their widow, widower, or surviving divorced spouse with a disability if the following conditions are met:

The widow, widower, or surviving divorced spouse is between ages 50 and 60.
The widow, widower, or surviving divorced spouse has a medical condition that meets the definition of disability for adults and the disability started before or within seven years of the worker’s death.

Widows, widowers, and surviving divorced spouses cannot apply online for survivors benefits. However, if they want to apply for these benefits, they should contact Social Security immediately at 1-800-772-1213 to request an appointment

To speed up the application process, complete an Adult Disability Report and have it available at the time of your appointment.

We use the same definition of disability for widows and widowers as we do for workers.

Disability Pension Corrective Payment

If you received a benefit from VAC between 2003 and 2010 and it was under the Pension Act, you may receive a corrective payment because of a discrepancy in our calculations. Most payments are automatic, however, Please contact us at if:

You no longer receive a benefit from VAC, or
You represent the estate of a deceased recipient.

If you are legally entitled to inherit assets from the estate of a deceased recipient, you may apply to receive a corrective payment if you are eligible.

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Get Help With Your Application

The staff at any VAC office, CAF Transition Centre or Service Canada office can assist you or call us at 1-866-522-2122. Service Officers with The Royal Canadian Legion or The War Amps of Canada can also assist you with your application, including helping you get all of the information you need to support your application. Their assistance is free of charge.

Who Makes The Decision About Your Disability

Specially trained staff who work in the Disability Adjudication Unit of the Ministry of Community and Social Services will:

look at the information you provide about your disability, and

This is called the Disability Determination Process. It is only done after we decide you qualify financially for Income Support.

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Applying For Social Security Disability And Ssi Benefits

You can apply online for Social Security Disability benefits, you can file in person at your local Social Security office, or by calling 772-1213.

To find your local Social Security office, click here and enter your home zip code. Locate a Social Security Office.

Before you begin your application, you should collect certain information regarding your medical treatment, work history and other facts. To view a checklist of the information that you will need, Disability Checklist.

When you are ready to apply for Social Security Disability Benefits, Apply for Disability. You will not have to complete the entire application in one sitting. You will have the option of saving your application and returning to it later.

You can also complete most of your application for SSI Disability benefits online, but to finish the application process you will have to visit a Social Security office. You canApply for SSI to begin the SSI application process for yourself or for a child.

How Do I File For Disability

You can file the Claim for Disability Insurance Benefits claim or even faster with . Register and create an account with us through Benefit Programs Online so that you can file and manage your disability claim with SDI Online.

Note: You can choose how you receive your benefits when you file, either by prepaid debit card or EDD check.

Electronic Payment: If you chose this option, your benefit payments will be deposited to a debit card issued to you.
Payment by Mail: If you chose this option, your benefit payments will be issued by EDD check. Allow 7 to 10 days for delivery by mail.

To learn more, review the step-by-step overview for the . Review the for detailed answers to commonly asked questions, including

List Your Diagnosed Medical Conditions

As part of the SSA’s requirements for Social Security disability insurance benefits or Supplemental Security Income , you must be diagnosed with a medical condition by a licensed doctor or psychologist. In addition, to be evaluated for disability, this impairment must have more than a slight effect on your ability to perform work.

If your medical records are not that lengthy or comprehensive, by submitting a medical source statement to Social Security, your doctor can show exactly what medical conditions you have been diagnosed with. Moreover, the doctor can explain what symptoms and limitations you are experiencing from your impairments. The failure of the SSA to properly consider all of your impairments can be a strong basis for any future disability appeal, so it is good to have them all documented in your claim file.

Documents You May Need To Provide

Seven tips for a Social Security disability medical exam

We may ask you to provide documents to show that you are eligible, such as:

Birth certificate or other proof of birth
Proof of U.S. citizenship or lawful alien status if you were not born in the United States
U.S. military discharge paper if you had military service before 1968
W-2 forms and/or self-employment tax returns for last year
An Adult Disability Report that collects more details about your illnesses, injuries or conditions, and your work history
Medical evidence already in your possession. This includes medical records, doctors’ reports, and recent test results and
Award letters, pay stubs, settlement agreements or other proof of any temporary or permanent workers’ compensation-type benefits you received .

Important

We accept photocopies of W-2 forms, self-employment tax returns or medical documents, but we must see the original of most other documents, such as your birth certificate.

Do not delay applying for benefits because you do not have all the documents. We will help you get them.

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Am I Eligible For Disability Insurance Benefits

Disability Insurance provides short-term wage replacement benefits to eligible California workers.

You may be eligible for DI if you are unable to work and are losing wages because of your own non-work-related illness, injury, or pregnancy.

In order to be eligible for DI benefits, you must:

Be unable to do your regular or customary work for at least eight days.
Have lost wages because of your disability.
Be employed or actively looking for work at the time your disability begins.
Have earned at least $300 from which State Disability Insurance deductions were withheld during your base period. Learn more with Calculating Benefit Payment Amounts.
Be under the care and treatment of a licensed physician/practitioner or accredited religious practitioner within the first eight days of your disability. The date your claim begins can be adjusted if it does not meet this requirement. You must remain under care and treatment to continue receiving benefits.
Complete and submit your Claim for Disability Insurance Benefits no earlier than nine days after your first day of disability begins but no later than 49 days, or you may lose benefits.
Have your physician/practitioner complete the medical certification portion of your disability claim.
A nurse practitioner may certify to a disability within their scope of practice.
A licensed midwife, nurse-midwife, or nurse practitioner may complete the medical certification for disabilities related to normal pregnancy or childbirth.

If You Do Not Qualify Financially For Income Support

If your caseworker tells you that you do not qualify financially for Income Support, you can ask to have the decision reviewed. This is first step in the appeal process and is called an Internal Review.

While the review takes place, you may continue with part two of the application process : looking at your disability status.

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What Do I Need To Know About Advance Designation

You should be aware of another type of representation called Advance Designation. This relates to the Strengthening Protections for Social Security Beneficiaries Act of 2018, which was signed into law on April 13, 2018.

Advance Designation allows capable adult and emancipated minor applicants and beneficiaries of Social Security, Supplemental Security Income, and Special Veterans Benefits to choose one or more individuals to serve as their representative payee in the future, if the need arises.

To help protect whats important to you, we now offer the option to choose a representative payee in advance. In the event that you can no longer make your own decisions, you and your family will have peace of mind knowing you already chose someone you trust to manage your benefits. If you need a representative payee to assist with the management of your benefits, we will first consider your advance designees, but we must still fully evaluate them and determine their suitability at that time.

You can submit your advance designation request when you apply for benefits or after you are already receiving benefits. You may do so through your personal account, by telephone, or in person.

Does Everyone Have To Go Through The Disability Determination Process

Some people only have to qualify financially to receive Income Support.

You do not need to go through the Disability Determination Process if you:

receive federal Canada Pension Plan Disability benefits
receive Quebec Pension Plan Disability benefits
are 65 or older but do not qualify for Old Age Security
live in certain types of institutions, such as a mental health facility or a home for people with developmental disabilities.

Your worker will tell you whether you need to go through the Disability Determination Process when you apply for Income Support.

Learn More

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Disability Benefits For Veterans

You may be eligible for disability benefits if you’re on disability from your service in the Canadian Armed Forces or Merchant Navy.

You may get social assistance payments from:

your province or territory
your First Nation

These payments will depend on your household income, savings and investments.

You may also be eligible for health-related benefits from your province or territory. These benefits may include benefits that help cover the cost of:

medications
medical aids or devices

How Much Work Do You Need

In addition to meeting our definition of disability, you must have worked long enough and recently enough under Social Security to qualify for disability benefits.

Social Security work credits are based on your total yearly wages or self-employment income. You can earn up to four credits each year.

The amount needed for a work credit changes from year to year. In 2021, for example, you earn one credit for each $1,470 in wages or self-employment income. When you’ve earned $5,880, you’ve earned your four credits for the year.

The number of work credits you need to qualify for disability benefits depends on your age when you become disabled. Generally, you need 40 credits, 20 of which were earned in the last 10 years ending with the year you become disabled. However, younger workers may qualify with fewer credits.

For more information on whether you qualify, refer to How You Earn Credits.

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The Basics About Disability Benefits

The SSDI program pays benefits to you and certain if you are insured. This means that you worked long enough and recently enough – and paid Social Security taxes on your earnings. The program pays benefits to adults and children with disabilities who have limited income and resources.

While these two programs are different, the medical requirements are the same. If you meet the non-medical requirements, monthly benefits are paid if you have a medical condition expected to last at least one year or result in death.

What Happens If The Adult Child Gets Married

Applying for Disability Benefits with a Mental Illness

If he or she receives benefits as a disabled “adult child,” the benefits generally end if he or she gets married. However, some marriages are considered protected.

The rules vary depending on the situation. Contact a Social Security representative at 1-800-772-1213 to find out if the benefits can continue.

1-800-772-1213

To speed up the application process, complete an Adult Disability Report and have it available at the time of your appointment.

Apply For An Accessible Parking Permit

Accessible parking permits can be issued to a person or a company.

To be eligible, you need to have:

a health condition that meets the eligible health conditions
authorization from a healthcare practitioner to be eligible for an accessible parking permit

An individual accessible parking permit is issued to a person, not a vehicle. In order to park in an accessible parking space, the permit must be clearly displayed on the sun visor or dashboard of the vehicle and the permit holder must be either a passenger in, or a driver of, the vehicle that is using the accessible parking space.

You can get a permit as a passenger only, or as both passenger and a driver. Accessible parking permits may be issued if you have a temporary, subject to change or permanent disability.

To apply for an accessible parking permit, there are 2 parts to the application form:

Part A to be completed with customer information
Part B to be completed by a healthcare practitioner

Read the eligible health conditions to see if you qualify

Get an application form by visiting any ServiceOntario centre or downloading the accessible parking permit form

Submit the completed form with identity documents showing proof of legal name, date of birth and signature to a ServiceOntario centre in-person or by mail

If you already have an accessible parking permit that has a permanent status, you can now renew online.

How Your Application Is Assessed

If you have made enough contributions to the Canada Pension Plan, we pass your file to our medical specialists for a medical assessment.

Applications are not assessed on the basis of a medical diagnosis alone, or on the basis of which disability or disease you have. Several factors are considered, including:

the nature and severity of your medical condition
the impact of the condition and treatment on your capacity to work
the likely course of your condition
your age, education and work history
your work performance, productivity and how much you are earning

Service Canada does not consider the availability of suitable employment in the applicant’s region when determining eligibility.

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Medical Conditions That Qualify For Disability Benefits

You may be wondering what are the medical conditions that qualify for disability? And is my diagnosis on that list? We give a list of medical conditions below, but as you will learn, any medical condition can potentially qualify for disability benefits. The focus is always on the extent of the disability caused by your medical condition. And whether the extent of your disability meets the requirements for various disability benefits plans and programs. This article lists common disabling conditions. I then review the eligibility criteria for the most common disability benefits. So, you can know if your medical condition can qualify for benefits.

Travel With An Accessible Parking Permit Outside Of Ontario

You can get a traveller permit if you have a valid accessible parking permit and plan to park your car in an accessible parking spot during your travel. For example, parking at an Ontario airport or train station.

The traveller permit must be displayed in the parked vehicle at the point of departure. The original permit travels with you.

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Make Sure Your Doctor Supports You

It is critical that you have your doctors support before you try to go on sick leave and apply for disability benefits. To be blunt: making a disability claim without your doctors support is a waste of time and can cause a lot of problems.Without your doctors support, your employer will not recognize your absence from work as being an approved sick leave. They will take the position that you are on an unauthorized leave and might take steps to terminate your employment.If your own doctor doesnt support you, there is no chance that any disability benefits plan or program will approve your application for disability payments. Many disability plans will deny your application even if you have a supportive doctor.What do you do if your doctor doesnt support you?It may just mean that your doctor needs more convincing. You should discuss your concerns to the doctor and do everything the doctor recommends to improve your symptoms and ability to work. Many doctors will support you once they believe you have done everything possible to try and remain employed.In rare cases, you may have a biased or uninformed doctor. Some doctors have personal beliefs and biases against people who need to apply for disability benefits. Dont assume this is the case with your doctor just because they are reluctant to support you give your doctor the benefit of the doubt.