False Belief #1- Believing that the system works and the Social Security Administration is not withholding information
Do not believe that the SSA or their employees are on top of your claim. That is where you need to be. Be sure to cover all of your bases. If you need to mail anything to the SSA for your claim, be sure to mail it as certified with a return receipt requested. This way if the SSA claims it was never sent, you have proof that is what sent and who received it. After you get proof that it has been received, you should call the SSA to follow-up and make sure that it hasn’t fallen through any cracks. While the employees at the SSA are knowledgeable, they may not know all of the policies. It is fine to trust what they are saying, but it is recommended that you verify that information for yourself. You do not want to lose your disability case based on faulty information from an employee.
False Belief #2- Your claim was denied because it is different from others
To those in the SSA, a claim is just a claim. There is nothing attached to it for those employees. In order to make your claim standout from the rest, you need to be sure to submit all documentation needed for the claims adjuster to make an informed decision. This means including copies of your most updated medical records that reflect your prognosis and limitations.
False Belief #3- All it takes to get disability benefits is a medical opinion claiming you are disabled
While having the opinion of a medical doctor is required by the SSA, it is not all you need to be approved for disability benefits. The opinion of the doctor needs to be supported by evidence such as your medical records or other medical evidence. Having this medical evidence will allow the claims adjuster for the SSA to see the proof, rather than an opinion.
False Belief #4- You have to be disabled for 12 months before you can apply for disability benefits
There is no amount of time that you need to wait between becoming disabled and applying for disability benefits. You may have heard that 12 months is the magic number with the SSA, but what does that mean? The SSA requires you to be disabled, or expected to be disabled for at least a period of 12 months in order to qualify to receive disability benefits. Disability benefits will not be approved if your medical condition is expected to improve greatly in a period of 12 months. This 12 month period can be confusing to those applying for benefits. By no means should you wait to file your disability claim. As soon as it is confirmed that your condition will last 12 months or longer, you should apply immediately. The SSA does allow back pay for benefits, but only up to a year’s worth. So the longer you wait, the more you could be hurting yourself. You may want to consider a consultation with your disability attorney once you find out your condition will last longer than 12 months, but before you actually file your application.
False Belief #5- An attorney will be too expensive to help on your case
What you may not know is that most disability attorneys work on something called a contingency basis. What this means is that your attorney will not be paid unless your case is successful. In addition to this, your attorney is only allowed to charge you a fee that is pre-approved by the SSA. That fee can be anywhere up to 25% of what you are expected to receive in back pay from the SSA. The amount will never be over that 25% that you will receive. In most cases, that will equal anywhere up to an amount of $6,000. There are some costs that you are expected to handle, however. Some of those charges you will be responsible for including getting copies of your medical records or having to get reports from any of your medical professionals. You can ask your disability attorney during your consultation what charges you will be expected to be responsible for during the course of your disability claim.
Consult with Disability Attorneys in Augusta GA
Having an experienced professional by your side may make all the difference in your disability case. Your skilled disability attorneys in Augusta GA are just a phone call away.