According to Insurance News Net, two-thirds of people applying for Social Security Disability Insurance benefits have their initial application denied and even if they appeal, a waiting period of two years or more may loom before they ever see a disability payment.
SSDI is a federally mandated insurance program administered by the Social Security Administration. The program is funded by taxpayers and their employers through payroll taxes.
SSDI applicants can shorten the process by avoiding a few common mistakes that can have their disability application rejected. The federal disability is a complicated process, and follows a five-step sequential evaluation process to determine eligibility:
Claimant must not be gainfully employed. In 2011, gainful employment is defined as earning $1,000 a month or more.
Claimant’s condition must be severe, meaning it interferes with basic activities.
Claimant’s condition must be on the SSA’s list of disabling medical conditions or the condition is expected to last for at least 12 months, or result in death.
Claimant is unable to perform the work he or she performed before disability.
Claimants is unable to perform any other type of work.
A claimant must meet the first two conditions in order for the SSA to even consider a claim.
The Social Security Disability application process is complex, with long waiting periods between application and evaluation processes. However, a claimant can cause further delays by accidentally providing insufficient evidence to the SSA.
