One of the most frustrating parts of the Social Security process has to deal with the Social Security Administration’s determination regarding your claim. It is said that you have a 70 percent chance of getting denied of your claim during the initial application stage. This is due to various reasons, wherein the SSA saw that your disability is not that severe to grant you benefits. You may also disagree with the amount of monthly benefits you’ll be receiving.

When such situation happens to you, you are entitled for an appeal from the SSA to reverse their decision regarding your claim. At this point, you are also given the right to be represented by someone who can help you throughout the whole appeals process. Surely there are a lot of expert litigators and legal professionals who can guide you through. There’s no better professional for this task but the Social Security disability attorneys.

Having any one of these attorneys will greatly benefit you in the long run. He or she has the comprehensive knowledge of the Social Security laws, wherein he has worked long enough to become aware of them. Through the attorney’s experience in handling various Social Security cases, the likelihood of winning your claim during the appeal process is increased.

Hiring a disability attorney would be an investment; you need not to worry about the expenses as he or she works in a contingency basis. That is, you won’t be paying him or her unless he or she wins your disability claim for you.

If you are not yet in such a predicament and you are thinking of submitting a disability claim, you can readily seek representation from any of the Social Security disability attorneys in your area. That way, you won’t be dealing with the appeals process anymore – your chances of winning your claim are high in the initial stage of the application process.

 
When you apply for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits, it is important that you submit all the needed information for the Social Security Administration (SSA) to review your claim. Filling-up paperwork and gathering documents can be a daunting task, but doing so will greatly affect your chances of getting approved and having your claim reviewed faster.

The SSA lists information regarding on how to apply and what documents you need to file on their Adult Disability Checklist. Before you start the disability process, it is important that you review the checklist to ensure that the information you will be gathering are complete. In order for the SSA to expedite the review of your claim and to receive benefits faster, here are the complete documents you need to include in your claim for Social Security benefits:
  • Birth certificate and/or proof of US citizenship or legal residency if born from foreign a country.
  • Form DD 214 (military discharge information) and proof of military pay
  • Last year’s income tax return (W-2 form)
  • Medical records – The SSA can gather all of the necessary records, but if you already secured them, copies should be included when you submit the claim
  • Employment information that includes your years of work, current and past working experiences
  • Workers’ Compensation documentation – This can greatly affect you benefits once you receive the SSA’s approval. Information needed include your injury date, claim number, agreement, and proof of other disability awarded payments
  • Names, birthdates and Social Security numbers of your spouse and your children
  • Names and contact numbers of friends or family members in case you cannot be reached
  • Names and contact numbers of all the doctors, nurses and medical professionals, as well as all of the medical establishments who has treated you for your medical condition.
  • Dates in which you received treatment
  • Prescribed medications that you are currently taking
  • Checking and savings account numbers in which your benefits will be directly deposited
  • Information about all your marriages and divorces
 
You should be aware that the Social Security Administration (SSA) gives you the right to undergo the appeals process. If you believe that you are not satisfied with the initial determination of the SSA regarding your claim, you must immediately pursue filing an appeal. The appeals process has four stages. Unless you are satisfied with the decision on one level, you will be proceeding to the next one.

The reconsideration stage is the first stage of the appeals process. An SSA representative who did not take any part on the initial determination will review your case. If you are not satisfied with the letter containing their decision, you have to proceed with the disability hearing before an administrative law judge (ALJ). At this point, you have to secure any one of the reputable Social Security disability lawyers in your area.

If you are dissatisfied with the decision of the ALJ despite providing sufficient evidences and testimonies from witnesses, you and your disability attorney should proceed to the third, which is the Social Security Appeals Council. The main office of the Appeals Council is located in Falls Church, VA, with office extensions located in Baltimore, MD and Crystal City, VA.

If you wish to file a request for an appeal with the Appeals Council, you must do so in writing within 60 days from the day you received the letter containing the decision of the ALJ regarding your claim. You can send it directly to the main office in Virginia, or you can call your local SSA office. You must act quickly with your legal representative to prevent delays. If you did not make any moves within the 60-day period, the Appeals Council may dismiss your petition.

The main role of the Appeals Council is to look at the ALJ’s determination regarding your claim. If they believe that the ALJ’s decision is correct, the Council will most likely reject your request for review. If they think otherwise, they may either decide on your case or return the decision to the ALJ for another review.