When you file for Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits, you may be focused only on the financial side. How much money did you earn before your injury? How much do you need to make ends meet? What is the maximum amount of benefits you can qualify for?
All these questions are important, but remember that the Social Security Administration (SSA) is far less interested in the financial side and more concerned with one simple question: Do you actually qualify for benefits?
It’s not a given
Even if you think you have a clear-cut case, it’s not a given that you will get those benefits. Many people get denied, especially the first time they apply. They have to go through the appeals process, and then many still don’t get the benefits they’re looking for.
To prove eligibility, perhaps the most important aspect of the case is your medical records. Gathering them and submitting them to the SSA is critical.
Those records take this beyond simply a claim being made by an individual. A medical professional gives their opinion and an official diagnosis. This really shows the extent of the injuries, if the person can still work, their expected level of recovery, what the timetable for that recovery looks like and much more.
The faster these medical records can change hands, the better. You need them to be as complete as possible and to paint a clear picture of the issues you are dealing with. The SSA wants to help. They just need to know if you qualify.
A complicated process
This whole process can get complicated, and so it often helps to work with experienced legal professionals. An attorney can provide guidance through this complicated process.