Even if you love your job, it is not the place you want to be if you are sick or in pain. While you depend on your paycheck to pay your bills, you may wonder if that benefit is worth the effort it takes to get out of bed and get yourself to the workplace. In fact, many days it is almost impossible for you to complete the duties required of your position at your job, and you don’t think you will be able to continue long enough to retire.
You may qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance, which will provide you with benefits based on your work history and other factors. However, receiving SSDI benefits is not automatic. First, you must apply and wait until the Social Security Administration determines if you are eligible. That process can be tedious and often disappointing.
Why many claims do not pass
The SSA reports that they deny about two thirds of all initial applications for SSDI. Even if your claim of being disabled is valid and genuine and your need is real, agents may still deny your claim. The rules for applying are complex, and many applicants simply do not follow them precisely, rendering their applications ineligible. Your application will face rejection under any of the following conditions:
- You apply for benefits based on an illness of which current drug or alcohol abuse is a contributing factor.
- Your income is higher than the maximum level established by the SSA.
- You cannot prove that your illness or injury will last a year or longer.
- The SSA was unable to reach you for answers to questions about your application.
- You failed to follow the instructions, such as providing appropriate medical records or keeping appointments set by the SSA.
- Your application did not include adequate documentation about your medical condition or treatments.
- You apply for benefits based on an illness or injury that is related to your participation in the commission of a felony or your incarceration for a felony conviction.
The SSA may reject your application if a doctor prescribed medical treatment that you failed to follow. However, there are exceptions to this rule, including the possibility that you could not afford the treatment or you did not have the appropriate assistance to allow you to comply with doctor’s orders.
If the SSA denies your claim the first time, you may have a valid reason for appealing the decision. Taking this course of action with a Missouri legal advocate may improve your chances of obtaining benefits.
