When to Apply for Disability

If you’ve been injured or struggle with health issues, you may wonder how to go about your next steps. When should you apply for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)? How will it help or hurt you if you apply at the wrong time?

Here’s what you need to know, from our trusted team of Memphis SSDI lawyers.

How to Know if You Qualify for SSDI

To qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance, you must be medically unable to work. This means you should apply for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) when you have a medical condition that keeps you from doing your job. Examples include:

  • Chronic illness
  • Severe injury (whether or not it happened on the job)
  • A physical impairment that makes you less able to work

The application process requires you prove the injury or illness prevents you from making an income. So you want to make sure that’s truly your situation before you apply.

It’s not enough to say you lost your job or are struggling to find one. In that situation, you would want to apply for unemployment instead.

Proving Your Injury Affects Your Work

The Social Security Administration (SSA) lists certain disabilities that will automatically qualify you for SSDI when you apply.

In addition, if your doctor has declared you disabled (or medically unable to work), then you should look into applying for SSDI. That’s true even if you don’t have one of the automatic disabilities on the SSA’s list. A doctor will need to back you up as part of your application.

 

What Happens If You’re Denied

You can apply for SSDI on your own, but know in advance it’s OK if it doesn’t go the way you expect.

These applications aren’t your simple online forms you just fill out and submit. They’re actually a fairly complex stack of forms. That’s why, to help you get through the application process, we’ve written free reports all about applying for SSDI. You can download these and use them to guide you through each step.

And if you’re denied, don’t be discouraged.  Up to 70% of initial claims are denied, but you can appeal that decision. You have 60 days, and you should get an attorney to help you.

A great SSDI attorney already knows the legal jargon and all the most common pitfalls. At our firm Darrell Castle & Associates, we have decades of experience in successful SSDI appeals. And we don’t get paid unless you win.

Call (901) 327-1212 to schedule your free appointment or fill out the form on this page.

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