Several SSDI Denials: Getting Help

If an applicant for Social Security Disability Insurance benefits has had their application for benefits denied more than once and you are getting seriously discouraged then you have to take a hard look at certain elements of the claim and make very sure that you have not somehow failed to meet the base line qualifications for benefits or that you may have failed to provide sufficient medical evidence to support the disability claim.  Go through all the elements once again just to make sure. 

Reviewing Basic Qualifications

Everybody wants to focus on the supporting medical evidence of a claim but an applicant could be being repeatedly turned down because he does not meet the insured status necessary for benefits.  The first thing Social Security is going to look at is whether or not the applicant has enough work credits to have earned a fully insured status, a currently insured status or an insured status for establishing a period of disability. Even self employed people may have earned enough credits to be insured but you have to make sure that you are.  People earn work credits by working for a covered by Social Security.  First thing applicants need to do is again make sure they are not being turned down because they have earned enough credits to be fully insured with Social Security or possibly that they did not meet an eligibility waiting period prior to submitting the application.

Reviewing Sufficiency of Medical Evidence

Every claim for benefits based on a disabling condition must be accompanied by sufficient medical evidence to support (1) the diagnosis of the disabling condition, (2) the disability impairments claimed, (3) the severity of the impairments in view of an ability to perform gainful employment of any kind.  This is where many applications fall through the cracks.  Many times an applicant will document the disability but the affect of the condition is not adjudged severe enough to be approved for benefits.  Check and recheck the medical documentation submitted with the application for inadequacies.

Getting Legal Help

If you or a member of your family has had their SSDI application for disability benefits denied more than once then it is likely time to access the experience and guidance of a disability lawyer.  An attorney can review the application to sort out where the claim is going wrong and why it is being turned down.  Once the problem is isolated work can begin to address the claim inadequacy and either an appeal or a re-application for benefits can be submitted which will have a much stronger chance for final approval for disability benefits.