Top Mistakes That Will Get Your Disability Claim Denied Every Time.
– Matt Sauerwald, Vice-President, Disability Help Group
Matt Sauerwald is one of the top Disability Advocates in the U.S. Matt has a wealth of knowledge and expertise in Social Security Disability law and has devoted his professional life to helping those who are unable to work due to a disability. Matt has successfully represented thousands of clients throughout their benefits claims.
Below, Matt shares the top mistakes that will get your claim denied every time.
Failing to cooperate with the process.
If you fail to give SSA what they are requesting, they will deny your case.
Working before you get an initial decision.
When SSA makes the initial decision (which normally takes 6 – 9 months) there is no hearing. You don’t get to testify, and an advocate does not get to argue your case. Everything is paperwork and medical records. Social Security has its own doctors, who you never get to meet, review your file, and determine if you are disabled.
Given the fact that only one-third of individuals applying for disability get approved at the initial stage, this means the doctors are clearly biased towards saying individuals are not disabled.
If you are working at a full-time level or even if a part-time level (if the job is hard or stressful), you are virtually guaranteeing denial.
Failing to attend your hearing.
Disability Help Group wins thousands of disability awards each year. This is the most important day in your case. Social Security is now offering phone and video hearings.
Failing to attend your hearing is a huge mistake because this is the one part of the process where you get to tell your story and have someone advocate for you and argue your case. Show up!
Working and not disclosing the work.
There are special rules about working Social Security disability. You can attempt work for 6 months and continue your case so long as you have to stop because of a medical condition. This is called an unsuccessful work attempt.
If you have already been out of work for 12 months or longer due to a medical condition and returned to work, you can still get paid for the period of time you were out of work. This is called a closed period.
If you are working, don’t hide it. Talk with your advocate about it and Social Security.
Not appealing a decision.
Many people get denied at the initial stage of the process and give up. This makes no sense unless you are back to work full-time.
Most people who get approved for disability do so at their hearing. Even if you are not sure about the case, until you are back to work full-time, you should appeal.
Working with an advocate can ensure your appeal gets filed and processed quicker too.
For individuals approaching age 62 or on early retirement, many don’t think of disability as even an option.
This is a mistake. When you take early retirement, you are penalized. You get less money on a monthly basis than if you waited for full retirement age.
If you are on early retirement and can prove you were disabled prior to the election of early retirement you can eliminate the early retirement penalty. This could mean tens to hundreds of thousands of extra dollars in your pocket.
If your claim has been denied or you are currently working through the appeal process and need help, contact Mr. Sauerwald and the team at Disability Help Group at 800-800-3332 today and see how we can help get your claim approved.
Since 2010 Matthew Sauerwald has been a leading voice for the disabled community in seeking compensation from the Social Security Administration and the Department of Veterans Affairs. Mr. Sauerwald has led one of the nation’s most successful disability advocacy organizations Disability Help Group since 2015 and has litigated thousands of hearings resulting in hundreds of millions of dollars of disability awards. Learn more about Matt here.
