When a medical condition is causing you to be unable to do your job, the Social Security Administration (SSA) has a program for you. Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) pays out benefits for workers who've earned enough money and have a qualifying condition. As with most government programs, the SSA has a multitude of rules and regulations that have to be followed every step of the way. That means that it's surprisingly easy to make a mistake that could jeopardize your claim for benefits. Read on to learn about some common denial reasons that should have you rethinking your claim.
You made your medical condition seem much worse than it was.
You may have heard that the SSA only approves claims for medical conditions that made it impossible for you to do your job, but you must fill out the application accurately. All claims of medical problems have to be accompanied by proof, and the proof must fit within certain guidelines.
For example, if a worker has carpal tunnel syndrome and now has trouble working at a keyboard, they might be entitled to SSA benefits. This is a well-known hand and wrist disorder, and you may have decided that it fits the symptoms you sometimes have when you type. Unfortunately, the SSA requires a lot more than that to gain benefits. You must have a medical doctor's diagnosis and back it up with tests like X-rays and more. Furthermore, you must be able to show that your disorder has kept you from working for quite some time and not just once in a while.
You made some bad decisions when you were younger and got in trouble.
The SSA doesn't hold all past indiscretions against you, but if your troubles included fraud against a government agency, you might never be able to get benefits, no matter how deserving you are. If you ended up getting convicted of fraud for food stamps, student loans, Medicaid, and, of course, Social Security, you may be automatically prevented from getting benefits.
You know you can get back pay, so you fudge the date a bit to get more.
Your benefits have a look-back date, and you are entitled to be paid from that day forward to the present with the exception of a mandatory waiting period. This amount is known as back pay, and it is often a much-needed lump sum payment that comes right after you are approved. The SSA will verify all the information you provide to them on the application, and any mistakes will delay your claim and could cause even more problems if the SSA believes that you lied about the information there.
If you have been denied benefits, it's not the end of the world. Speak to a social security insurance attorney to find out how you can get your problems straightened out at an appeals hearing.
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