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There is a simplified difference between Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). First, SSDI is for people who were disabled permanently and cannot work in accordance to the definition provided under the Social Security Act. This meant that the person is not able to engage in any substantial gainful activity (SGA) because of a medically identifiable physical or mental impairment that in the end could lead to the death of the person.


It is also vital that the ailment is expected to last for not less than 12 months. Moreover, he or she must be able to collect sufficient work credits to have an ample amount of money to pay the insurance beforehand.


On the other hand, SSI is provided to poor people. The Social Security Administration (SSA) has a set standard to determine if the person is really living below the social norms of the society. He or she must be more than 65 years old, and may be disabled or blind.

 
Making Appeals

In 2009, the SSA had announced that applications for the disability benefits rose close to 17 percent in the whole United States, which is at about 3 million. Moreover, the agency further stated that they expect the number to rise up to 10 percent in 2010 and that meant 3.3 million new applications. 


Taking this logically, it is clear that not all of the claims would be approved by the SSA. Some of them could be rejected.



Giving the benefit of the doubt, those handling the SSA had permitted applicants with rejected benefits claims to file an appeal. An appeal must be done within 60 days based on the date written in the denial letter. An appeal actually has four levels, but this article will focus on the initial application only:

·         Request for Reconsideration (RFR)

This is the primary step in making an appeal. An RFR is a document filed by the applicant and through it, he or she is telling the SSA office that someone other than the previous agent who handled the case should investigate if there really is a disability. The new agent will then review the available documents to see if the claimant is eligible for the social security disability benefits. No hearing will be conducted; nonetheless, if the SSA states that the applicant no longer has a disability, then that person will be required to appear before and explain to the agent. 

 
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It is said that only 30 percent of initial Social Security disability claims are approved by the Social Security Administration (SSA). Meanwhile, there are only three possibilities that may happen to the remaining 70 percent of claims. Applicants may forget their claims (giving up their right to benefits in the process). Some may file a disability claim anew. Some others, however, may pursue an approval by reversing the decision via an appeal.

Accordingly, if your claim was denied by the Social Security Administration (SSA), then it would be best that you do the third one, which is to have the federal agency reverse its previous decision through an appeal. You can do so within 60 days of your receipt of the SSA’s letter notifying that your claim has been denied.

Incidentally, one of the most important parts of the appeal is the disability hearing. It is an informal hearing presided over by an administrative law judge (ALJ). If you get denied during the first stage of the appeal (the reconsideration stage), it is best that you try again and go for the disability hearing. To help you out in the whole process, retaining the services of any Los Angeles Social Security claim lawyers will suffice.

Coming in prepared for the disability hearing is very important. The first thing that you must consider when you prepare for it is to retain the services of the said lawyer. With your reputable lawyer at the helm, the chances of getting your claim approved at the hearing will increase. Your lawyer can handle your case properly, as well as explain during the hearing why you are qualified for disability benefits.

Also, before the scheduled date of the hearing is provided to you, it is best that you collect additional medical records for your disability claim. First, though, you must review the records that the Social Security office used to determine if you are disabled or not.

Point of advice: take advantage of the opportunity after reviewing your claim. If you feel like you’ve missed out on important information in your previous claim, it would be best to include them prior to submitting your claim before the disability hearing.

Source: http://www.socialsecurity-disability.org/blog/how-prepare-social-security-disability-hearing