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Understanding the Social Security benefit approval process

On Behalf of | Nov 11, 2020 | Social Security Disability |

Social Security is a government program that may be the best provision for Kansas residents who have a provable physical or mentally debilitating condition. The problem with Social Security disability is that it takes so long for those who are questionably disabled to be approved because the Social Security Administration wants undeniable validation of the disability. This means that approximately two-thirds of those who apply must go through the appeals process, which is considerably long and frustrating.

The Social Security Administration has established two programs for the disabled. One is Social Security disability insurance, and the other is supplemental security income. While the rules pertaining to eligibility for each are the same regarding health issues, the length of time they are in effect is not. SSDI is a permanent disability benefit ruling. SSI is an annual approval income for those who are disabled and have less than $2,000 in allowable assets. Approval for both programs involves the appeals process for most applicants.

The mere fact that an applicant has a general health diagnosis from a doctor that their physical or mental condition is debilitating is not sufficient for a case approval. The applicant must prove to the SSA administrative law judge that the health issue is either on the list of approved medical conditions or is the equivalent of an approved disability. This commonly takes representation from a Social Security Disability attorney who understands how to provide the information that the SSA wants for an approval. It often takes multiple appeals and an individual applicant hearing.

A Social Security disability attorney may help assemble all necessary medical evidence and craft a solid case for approval using their experience in handling previous claims. Being approved for either SSDI or SSI commonly requires legal representation even when the case takes a significant amount of time in order to avoid a complete denial from the SSA.