What Happens When I First Call a Disability Attorney? When you first contact an attorney or law firm for representation, either the attorney or a firm staff member will conduct an initial interview with you to gather the basic facts of the case. These facts are used to help determine if the firm will take your case.
Should You Trust the Social Security Disability Doctor? Exams will vary by doctor, but it's generally a good idea to be wary during a medical exam for Social Security. What is usually meant by "Social Security disability doctor" is a doctor who is hired to do a consultative exam (either a physical exam or psychiatric exam) for Social Security.
To determine if you meet a listing, your attorney will first see if your illness has a disability listing in Social Security's "blue book." If it does, the attorney will review the requirements of the listing and compare them to the evidence in your case. (For more information, see our section on listed disabilities .)
Try to get your brother to register with a GP (if he is not already registered), maybe for a physical problem he has. I know this is easier said than done, but it will be an important first step. If he does have a GP but won't visit the surgery, try writing a letter to the doctor explaining your brother's behaviour and your worries.
If social security sends you a letter asking you to see a doctor at their expense, it means that the disability examiner thinks there is not enough medical evidence on the disabilities that you are alleging. Most of the time, this is because you are not getting medical treatment on your own.
Morton III, M.D. If you believe you might qualify for Social Security disability benefits, you need your doctor to support your claim for disability. You'll need your doctor to send your medical records to Social Security as well as a statement about any limitations you have that prevent you from doing work tasks.
Benefit Application Under Review. A medical decision has been made and we are working to process your benefit application. A Social Security Representative may contact you directly if we need any additional documents are needed. It means approval.
4 Steps to the Social Security Disability Determination ProcessStep 1: Initial Application. To be awarded disability benefits, you first have to assert your right to them. ... Step 2: Reconsideration. ... Step #3: Hearing. ... Step #4: Appeals Council and Beyond.
Making Statements That Can Hurt Your Claim – Unless you are specifically asked pertinent questions, do not talk about alcohol or drug use, criminal history, family members getting disability or unemployment, or similar topics. However, if you are asked directly about any of those topics, answer them truthfully.
Calculating Benefit Payment Amounts. Your Weekly Benefit Amount (WBA) depends on your annual income. It is estimated as 60 to 70 percent of the wages you earned 5 to 18 months before your claim start date and up to the maximum WBA. Note: Your claim start date is the date your disability begins.
Unlike private insurance companies the SSA does not generally conduct surveillance investigations, but that doesn't mean that they can't or never will. Once you file a disability claim, the SSA looks for proof of your disability.
When you apply to Social Security for disability benefits, the Disability Determination Services (DDS) agency in your state reviews your application to determine if you are medically disabled. The decisions made by DDS claims examiners are made according to a set of standards that are set out by the federal government.
While the DDS office reviews applications and makes recommendations to the SSA, it is the SSA which makes the final decision to accept or reject claims for disability benefits.
What Conditions Automatically Qualify You for Disability?Musculoskeletal disorders (e.g., bone, joint injuries, skeletal spine injuries)Special senses and speech (e.g., visual disorders, blindness)Respiratory disorders (e.g., chronic bronchitis, emphysema, asthma)More items...
about 3 to 5 monthsGenerally, it takes about 3 to 5 months to get a decision. However, the exact time depends on how long it takes to get your medical records and any other evidence needed to make a decision.
Back pay covers the months between application and approval. Because SSDI eligibility technically begins with your disability onset date, you may be eligible for additional “retroactive” benefits if you became disabled well before you applied.
What is usually meant by "Social Security disability doctor" is a doctor who is hired to do a consultative exam (either a physical exam or psychiatric exam) for Social Security.
The most common reason is that they don't think you are disabled but they need recent medical evidence (not older than 30 or 60 days) in order to deny you disability benefits.
For instance, if a straight-leg test comes back negative and a positive test is required for a disability listing, you can be denied. In short, when you go to a consultative exam for Social Security, know that the doctor is not on your side and may be trying to collect information to deny your claim. You may be observed by a biased doctor ...
You may be observed by a biased doctor from the moment you enter the examining doctor's parking lot until the time you drive away. And don't be shy about addressing your pain and/or mobility issues. Written by: Tim Moore, former Social Security claims examiner. Talk to a Disability Lawyer.
Statements such as these indicate that doctors who examine claimants for SSDI and SSI disability cases will sometimes go out of their way to make notations in their examination reports that are not helpful to a claimant's case, and they may not accurately reflect the patient's pain.