– Matt Sauerwald, President, Disability Help Group
Matt Sauerwald has been a dedicated advocate for people seeking disability benefits for over a decade. He’s represented thousands of clients and thoroughly knows the disability application and appeals processes.
Matt knows that most Social Security disability applications are initially denied and that understanding the most common reasons for denial can help you improve your chances of submitting a successful application.
Common Reasons for SSDI Claims Denial
Many people assume that Social Security disability denials are generally based on how the Social Security Administration (SSA) views the medical documentation submitted. However, many SSDI claims are denied before the SSA ever reaches the point of assessing the applicant’s medical condition. In the most recent year reported, the SSA denied more than 39% of workers’ claims for disability benefits for technical reasons.
Non-Medical Denials in SSDI Cases
Some of the most common non-medical reasons claims for SSDI benefits might be denied include:
Insufficient work credits: to qualify for Social Security disability benefits, you must have earned a certain number of work credits. The number of total credits and recent credits required depends on your age at the time you became disabled.
Making too much money: disability benefits are intended for people whose medical conditions prevent them from engaging in substantial gainful activity (SGA). So, if you earn above the SGA threshold, you won’t qualify.
Not providing sufficient information or failing to cooperate: to be granted disability benefits, you must provide all required information and be responsive to any requests from the SSA.
Medical Denials
To receive SSDI benefits, you must show that your medical condition or combination of medical conditions renders you unable to earn a living. Your claim may be denied if:
You’ve provided insufficient medical documentation to prove your condition.
The SSA determines that your condition isn’t severe enough to prevent you from engaging in substantial gainful activity.
You aren’t following medical recommendations that could improve your condition.
The disabling condition is not suspected to last for at least one year.
The SSA determines that there is still work you can perform, despite your medical limitations.
Submit the Strongest SSDI Application Possible
Many SSDI denials happen due to innocent mistakes or missing information. The best way to avoid those missteps that could result in denial or delay your claim is to work with an experienced disability benefits advocate from the beginning. To learn more about how we can help, call 800-800-3332 or contact us here for a FREE case evaluation.
Matthew Sauerwald is one of the top disability benefits advocates in the nation. He fights for the rights of people pursuing Social Security disability or VA disability benefits. Currently, he leads Disability Help Group, one of the most successful disability advocacy organizations in the United States.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) provides benefits to certain survivors of deceased workers. That’s true whether the deceased was still working, was retired, or was receiving SSDI benefits at the time of their death. But, not every survivor qualifies for widows’ benefits or other survivor benefits. The surviving spouse will typically be entitled to benefits based on the deceased worker’s work history if:
The widow or widower has reached full retirement age
The widow or widower is at least 60 but below full retirement age (benefits will be reduced)
The widow or widower is at least 50 years old and disabled (benefits will be reduced)
The widow or widower does not qualify based on age and/or disability but is caring for a child of the deceased who is under the age of 16 (benefits will be reduced)
Note, though, that there are complications, potential disqualifications, and choices to be made. For example, if you’ve reached retirement age yourself, you can choose between your deceased spouse’s benefit and your own, but you can’t collect both. And, if you’re receiving a pension from work that didn’t pay into Social Security, such as a city government employer, that may impact your widows’ benefits.
It may seem that widows’ benefits would be almost automatic since the criteria are so cut-and-dried. But, you will actually be required to provide quite a bit of documentation when applying for survivors’ benefits. That’s true in any case but can be especially challenging if you are claiming benefits between the ages of 50 and 59 because you are disabled. You cannot apply for widows’ benefits online.
Be Sure to Explore all Available Benefits
Though this post is focused on widows’ benefits, other relatives, including minor children, adult children who are disabled, and–in some cases–dependent parents may also be entitled to benefits. Make sure to explore all available benefits before applying.
Applying for Disability Benefits as a Widow
If you’ve been widowed and your spouse qualified for Social Security benefits, you may qualify for benefits on your spouse’s work record. But, it doesn’t work that way for SSDI. To qualify for Social Security disability, you must have accrued sufficient work credits of your own. Pursuing SSDI as a widow is no different from pursuing the same benefits as a single person or a married person–except that you may have to choose between your own benefits and the benefits you are entitled to as a surviving spouse.
Don’t Take Chances with Your Widows’ Benefits
As you can see, the process of securing benefits for yourself and your children after the death of a spouse can be trickier and more time-consuming than you might have expected. And, survivors’ benefits can be denied and appealed just like any other Social Security application.
At Disability Help Group, we put our experience to work for people like you every day. To learn more about how we can help you, call 800-800-3332 or contact our team of experts here.
For some conditions, dependence on a medical device may help establish your claim for SSDI benefits. The need for some limited types of medical devices may even entitle you to provisional benefits while your SSDI application is being considered. But, it’s important to understand what is necessary to establish the need for a medical device.
Examples of Medical Devices that Can Help Establish Disability
We can’t include a full listing of medical devices that may play a role in the SSDI determination, but these examples will help you understand how the analysis works.
Neurological Disorders
For certain neurological disorders, one criteria is the “inability to stand up from a seated position.” This is defined as being “unable to stand and maintain an upright position without the assistance of another person or the use of an assistive device, such as a walker, two crutches, or two canes.” So, in this situation, the medical need for such assistive devices can help to establish the degree of disability. However, it’s important to note that the fact that you use such devices is not evidence that they are medically necessary. That need will have to be established by a medical professional.
Musculoskeletal Disorders
For some musculoskeletal disorders, one of the options for establishing functional impairment is “A documented medical need for a walker, bilateral canes, or bilateral crutches or a wheeled and seated mobility device involving the use of both hands.” Note, again, that the “documented” requirement means that a medical professional must have deemed the use of the device necessary.
Presumptive Disability
The Social Security Administration (SSA) treats certain types of claims as presumptive disabilities. That means that the applicant can receive up to six months of payments while the application is being processed. The need for medical devices plays a role in several of the listed conditions, such as:
Allegation of bed confinement or immobility without a wheelchair, walker, or crutches, due to a longstanding condition excluding recent accident and recent surgery
Allegation of cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, or muscular atrophy and marked difficulty in walking (for example the use of braces), speaking, or coordination of the hands or arms
Allegation of a spinal cord injury producing an inability to ambulate without the use of a walker or bilateral hand-held assistive devices for more than two weeks with confirmation of such status from an acceptable medical source
Disability Help Group Fights for Your Disability Benefits
Whether you are applying for SSDI benefits for the first time or need help appealing a denial, we are here to help. To learn more about how we can put our extensive experience to work for you, call 800-800-3332 or contact us here.
– Matt Sauerwald, President, Disability Help Group
Matt Sauerwald is one of the nation’s top Disability Advocates. Matt has spent more than a decade helping people who are unable to work due to a disability, representing thousands of clients along the way. He knows the disability benefits process can be confusing, and that it may be unclear whether an older worker should apply for SSDI or skip straight to retirement benefits. Here’s what you should know.
Many people who become disabled after 60 don’t think it’s worthwhile to file for SSDI benefits. Most people know the process for applying for benefits and then possibly going through a lengthy appeals process can take months–or even years. Since you can take early Social Security retirement benefits at 62, it may not seem worthwhile to go through the process. But, the process may be less daunting than you think. And, applying for SSDI, even if it’s only for a few years, can mean significantly more income for you.
The SSDI Application Process after 60
When an applicant for Social Security disability benefits is 55 or older, the Social Security Administration (SSA) uses grid rules in place of the usual evaluation of residual functional capacity. That’s because younger workers who have the capacity to perform some type of work may be expected to retrain and pursue a different type of employment. But, workers of an “advanced age” are assessed as follows:
A person of advanced age who is no longer able to perform past work and has limited education is considered disabled unless they have skilled or semi-skilled work experience with skills that are transferable to another kind of work they could perform with their disability
A person of advanced age who is no longer able to perform past work and has graduated from high school or has a higher education is considered disabled unless either their education or skills from skilled or semi-skilled past work is transferable to another kind of work they could perform with their disability.
So, the process may not be as challenging or as drawn out for older SSDI applicants.
How Applying for SSDI after 60 Offers More Benefits
Imagine that you become disabled at age 61. You know you can apply for Social Security retirement benefits at 62, so it may not seem worth it to apply for disability benefits. Here’s why you’ll likely receive far more in benefits if you start with SSDI:
When you are awarded SSDI benefits, you will usually receive “back pay” to the date of your application. So, if you apply at 60 or 61, you could receive a year or two of benefits that you would miss out on if you waited to apply for retirement benefits.
When you take Social Security retirement benefits early, your monthly benefit is reduced–and the reduction is permanent. For example, if you take retirement benefits at 62%, your benefits could be reduced by as much as 30%. That adds up to a lot of money across your remaining years. However, when you receive SSDI, you get the full amount you would have received if you’d taken Social Security retirement on schedule.
For most people, applying for Social Security disability is a better option than taking early retirement benefits. If you need help with your disability claim or appealing an SSDI denial, Disability Help Group is here for you. To learn more about how we can help, call 800-800-3332 or contact us here.
Matthew Sauerwald has been a dedicated voice for the people seeking disability benefits since 2010. He has represented thousands of claimants fighting for Social Security disability or VA disability benefits, and currently leads Disability Help Group, one of the most successful disability advocacy organizations in the United States.
Receiving a denial notice after you apply for Social Security disability benefits can be disheartening. But, that initial denial notice isn’t the end of the road. You can’t afford to give up. Here are three key reasons you should appeal your SSDI denial.
It’s Worth Your While to Fight for Social Security Disability
Most Social Security Disability Claims are Initially Denied
If you didn’t know what you were up against, your SSDI denial notice may have taken you by surprise. Unfortunately, most Social Security disability applications are denied at first. The Social Security Administration (SSA) says on average, about 21% of initial claims are approved each year. Worse, some people lose out on benefits because they give up when they receive the denial notice. But, a great many of those who are initially denied do receive disability benefits if they persist.
Sadly, many applicants give up after the first denial, not realizing that if they chose to continue through the process of requesting reconsideration and then a hearing before an administrative law judge (ALJ), there’s a good chance of securing disability benefits at a later stage.
You Paid for Social Security Benefits
Many people think of SSDI benefits as a public benefit like Medicaid or SNAP, funded by the government to help people in difficult circumstances. But, Social Security is different. You pay into the Social Security system with every paycheck, and your employer pays in on your behalf.. If you’re self-employed, your self-employment taxes cover the combined amount. If you find yourself unable to continue working due to a disability, it’s your time to collect those benefits.
Reapplying is Not the Same as Appealing
An SSDI applicant who does not appeal their denial or who loses on appeal can reapply. But, reapplying isn’t a substitute for appealing. For example, if you successfully appeal your denial, you can be awarded back benefits. But, if you let your time to appeal expire, the decision becomes final. That means the Social Security Administration (SSA) has already determined that you were not disabled for the period covered by your initial application. You won’t be able to get benefits for that time period, even if your second application is approved. Depending on how long it has been since you worked, you could even lose eligibility by waiting and reapplying.
The Bottom Line on Appealing SSDI Denial
For most applicants, seeing the appeals process through is the best course of action after being denied Social Security disability benefits. You can significantly improve your chances of success at each subsequent step if you have knowledgeable guidance. For example, most requests for reconsideration are denied, since they’re just a review of the same materials. But, some applicants can secure benefits at this stage by providing supplemental information.
An experienced disability benefits advocate can be your best resource. To learn more about how Disability Help Group can help, call 800-800-3332 or contact us here.
