If you find yourself applying for Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits, you must be suffering from a debilitating condition that affects your ability to work. You may think that having a doctor label you as having a permanent impairment and the records on hand to document is enough to justify your receiving benefits. It often isn’t the case, though. Countless disability applicants have their applications denied every year. There are some common reasons why this happens.
One of the more common reasons disability benefits applications end up getting rejected is that they’re incomplete. Applicants who are unable to document their inability to work for the past 12 months or how their condition may affect their ability to become gainfully employed in the future may have their applications denied.
If your injury occurred while you were engaging in criminal activity or imprisoned, your reviewer is likely to deny your claim. They must also do the same if they have reason to believe that your addiction to either alcohol or drugs has contributed to your getting hurt. You’re a lot less likely to have your application approved if you’ve had one denied previously.
The SSA often requests that applicants undergo a third-party medical examination before approving an application. If you miss this appointment, then your request for benefits is likely to get denied.
If your doctor orders you to follow a specific treatment plan and fail to do so, you may have your application denied. If you can show that your physical or mental incapacitation prevented you from undergoing the treatment, then a reviewer may approve your application. They may also do so if you can prove that the recommended treatment too cost-prohibitive for you.
Many individuals pay into the Social Security system with the expectation that they’ll definitively qualify to receive disability benefits if something happens to them or they reach a certain age. There are no guarantees, though. A Social Security Disability attorney can help you receive the benefits you deserve in your Oklahoma City case.