How To File For Social Security Disability

What Is Supplemental Security Income

SSI is a program developed to help disabled individuals who do not work. The reason for this is simple: if disabled due to a medical condition or injury, finding employment may be impossible.Because of this, SSI is considered a welfare program that is designed to care for vulnerable people without work credits who need assistance supporting themselves with a basic income. Like SSDI, the SSI program provides both a check and health insurance.SSAs definition of disability does not change whether the claimant qualifies under SSI or SSDI.

The Ssd Application Process In Michigan

Michigans path to apply for Social Security Disability benefits is slightly different than some other states. Below, you can see how the process works.

INITIAL APPLICATION

There are 3 ways to apply for Social Security Disability benefits:

The application form for SSD Benefits requests a lot of information. Contact us now for help with the Social Security application process.

Many individuals are denied at this stage, even though they meet all the requirements for benefits.

Do not be intimidated by the application process. If you are disabled, you have the right to seek benefits.

RECONSIDERATION

In many states, the next step in the appeal process is called Reconsideration, but this step has been eliminated in Michigan. If you are denied, and live in the state of Michigan, you go straight into the Appeal stage.

APPEAL

If there is a denial on an Initial Application in Michigan, the next step is to request a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge . A claimant has 60 days from the date of the denial to request a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge. Once the appeal and Request for Hearing have been filed, the average wait time for a hearing is typically between 12-18 months, although it can take longer.

An application for disability benefits can be denied for various reasons. The most common reasons are:

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.

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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

Some Workers Who Dont Meet The Standards Can Still Claim Benefits

Plenty of people far too young to have a decade or more of work experience work in dangerous environments. Even a fast-food restaurant could cause a disabling injury, so younger workers sometimes need to make a benefits claim as well.

Those under the age of 24, for example, only need to have earned six credits over the last three years to receive SSDI. There are reduced requirements for workers up to the age of 31 that can help younger workers who get hurt or develop a disabling medical condition, like cancer. Workers can create an account on the SSA website to check their accrued credits.

Knowing the rules about how long you must work to claim SSDI can help you determine if you might qualify for benefits.

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You May Qualify For Legal Assistance

Applying for Michigan disability is often confusing, and the process can take several months to complete. Why not have an experienced Social Security attorney help you get it right the first time? You can get confidential answers to your Michigan disability questions at a free, no-obligation consultation! All Michigan disability lawyers work on contingency, so youll pay nothing unless they help you get benefits.Denied once already and looking to appeal? A Michigan disability lawyer can review your claim for mistakes to fix before you move forward. Lawyers wont take on your case unless they think youll win. And if you do win, youll only pay a small, one-time fee.

Ready to see if you may qualify? Click the button below to start your free online benefits evaluation now!

What Information Will Be Needed

• Your Social Security number.
• Names, addresses and phone numbers of doctors, caseworkers, hospitals and clinics that have treated you, and the dates of your visits.
• Names and dosages of all the medications you are currently taking.
• Medical records from your doctors, therapists, hospitals, clinics and caseworkers that you already have in your possession.
• Your work history information for the past 15 years, including locations, job titles, dates of employment, hours worked per week/month, and rate of pay.
• If you were self-employed, a copy of your federal tax return.

If you apply online, it may also be a good idea to call your Social Security office simply to confirm that your electronic application was actually received. Not everything that is transmitted online actually arrives at its proper destination.

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Apply Online For Disability Benefits

Social Security offers an online disability application you can complete at your convenience. Apply from the comfort of your home or any location at a time most convenient for you. You do not need to drive to your local Social Security office or wait for an appointment with a Social Security representative.

You can use the online application to apply for disability benefits if you:

• Are age 18 or older
• Are not currently receiving benefits on your own Social Security record
• Are unable to work because of a medical condition that is expected to last at least 12 months or result in death: and
• Have not been denied disability benefits in the last 60 days. If your application was recently denied for medical reasons, the Internet Appeal is a starting point to request a review of the medical determination we made.

• Print and review the Adult Disability Checklist.

  It will help you gather the information you need to complete the application.

We suggest that you have the following information at hand. It will make completing the application much easier.

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

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.

Mailing Your Documents

After we receive your online application, we will:

The Disability Determination Process

The Social Security Administration requires each state to process its own disability applications, with some exceptions. West Virginia residents’ disability applications generally will be processed in West Virginia. Each state processes claims independently, and all must follow the same rules and regulations set forth by Congress.

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Lost Or Stolen Federal Payments

Report your lost, missing, or stolen federal check to the agency that issued the payment. It’s usually one of these paying agencies. If your documentation indicates it’s a different agency, and you need its contact information, look in the A-Z Index of U.S. Government Departments and Agencies.

To get an update on your claim, contact the Treasury Department Philadelphia Financial Center at 1-855-868-0151, option 1.

Earn Ssa Work Credits In Some Countries

You may not have enough credits from your work in the United States to qualify for retirement benefits. But, you may be able to count your work credits from another country. The SSA has agreements with 24 countries. If you earned credits in one of those countries, they can help you qualify for U.S. benefits.

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What If Your Application Is Denied

The Social Security disability process isnt swift, even with the help of a disability lawyer. For most applicants, there are multiple phases because the SSA process allows only for total disability.Unlike other government programs, such as Workmans Compensation or Veterans Administration benefits that provide partial disability, SSA benefits are all-or-nothing.About one in three claimants is approved on the initial application for total disability. This means most individuals will be denied the first time.The next step is called reconsideration and it involves resubmitting the claim with any new medical information for review by a different Disability Examiner. The reconsideration process takes about as long as the initial claim.Claimants who file at Recon level are usually denied about 14% of these cases are allowed.The Administrative Law Judge is the next level, where three out of four claims are approved in federal court.By the time the claim reaches the ALJ, most claimants have waited close to a year, but overall forty percent of all disability applications are finally approved for social security benefits.

How Do You Prove Disability For Bipolar Disorder

To qualify for SSD benefits, your Bipolar disorder must meet very specific Social Security Administration requirements. Under the SSAs regulations, you must meet listing 12.04. Below, you will see the requirements for listing 12.04. Specifically, pay attention to the criteria that discusses Bipolar disorder. Reading below, you can see that Bipolar disorder requires three symptoms out the seven on the list. For example, your symptoms would qualify if you have inflated self-esteem, flight of ideas, and decreased need for sleep. Please note, the SSA also uses listing 12.04 to evaluate depression.

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Documents You May Need To Provide

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.

To Qualify For Medicare You Need To Get Disability Benefits From:

• Social Security

• Railroad Retirement Board

Youll automatically get Part A and Part B after you get disability benefits for 24 months. Well mail you a welcome package with your Medicare card.

If you or your spouse worked for a railroad, call the Railroad Retirement Board at 1-877-772-5772.

If you live in Puerto Rico or outside the U.S.

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Workers Compensation In Michigan

Workers compensation insurance provides financial assistance to employees in Michigan who are injured on the job or fall ill as a result of the workplace environment. This can be considered a type of short-term disability insurance because it provides financial help during the period the employee is not able to earn their salary or perform their job responsibilities because of the injury.

The Michigan Workers Disability Compensation Act covers injured Michigan workers and their employers. It requires most Michigan employers to buy a workers compensation insurance policy from a private insurance company, while a few companies are approved to be self-insured. The insurer provides wage replacement, medical expenses and rehabilitation benefits to the injured worker. As part of the structure of the program, the employer is relieved of civil liability for the injury.

What Is The Social Security Administrations Definition Of Disabled

Disability is defined by SSA in its simplest terms as the inability to work. The technical definition is the inability to engage in substantial gainful activity .For practical purposes, SGA means full-time work either usual employment or having the capacity to adjust to new, different employment.This straightforward definition does not mean the process of getting approved is simple or quick, however.Determining whether SGA is possible takes a team of specialists and doctors to review the disability application, and sometimes schedule additional medical appointments.Past work has a big impact on allowance or denial, and a law firm that offers a free evaluation of work history can be helpful.Get a Free Disability Evaluation

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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 You Qualify For Ssdi

About 9 million recipients currently meet the definition of disability and receive social security benefits. Since SSDI is an entitlement program, all workers qualify but not all who apply will be approved.Once an application is filed, the information is sent electronically to a separate office where medical eligibility is determined.Facts such as medical records, work history, and income are all reviewed by Disability Examiners, and the claim is also reviewed by one or more medical consultants.Find Out If You Qualify

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Get Ssa Benefits While Living Overseas

U.S. citizens can travel to or live in most, but not all, foreign countries and still receive their Social Security benefits. You can find out if you can receive benefits overseas by using the Social Security Administrations payment verification tool. Once you access the tool, pick the country you’re visiting or living in from the drop-down menu options.

You Must Be Disabled To Qualify For Ssd

According to the definition used by Social Security to evaluate physical and mental impairments to determine whether or not you are disabled and qualified to receive SSD benefits, the impairment or combination of impairments must have lasted or be expected to last for at least one year or be expected to cause death.

A five-step process used to evaluate your medical condition includes the following:

• It must prevent you from engaging in substantial gainful activity, such as sitting, standing, lifting, and remembering. If it does not, then you do not qualify. If it does, then the evaluation proceeds to the next step.
• It must be severe and expected to last for at least 12 months or cause death to occur or you will not qualify. If it meets this standard, the evaluation continues.
• It must be among the list of impairments compiled by Social Security or medically equivalent to a listed impairment. If it is, then you qualify for benefits. If it does not meet this standard, the evaluation continues.
• It must prevent you from engaging in the work you did before becoming disabled. If it does, the evaluation process continues to the next and final step.
• It must prevent you from doing any other type of work based on your age, education, skills, and work experience. You will not qualify for benefits if you can do other types of work.

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Our Ohio Disability Attorneys Can Help You

The team at Heller, Maas, Moro & Magill, Co., LPA, has more than 200 years of combined legal experience. We know how confusing the process of applying for disability benefits can be. We are ready to help you to make sure that all of the paperwork you need to submit to the SSA and the Ohio Division of Disability Determination is complete and accurate. We can also help you to pursue an appeal if your application for Ohio disability benefits is denied.

With five convenient locations in Ohio, our help is never far away. Contact us today by phone or reach us online to schedule a free consultation and discuss how we can help you to apply for social security benefits in Ohio and get your life back.

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