Many people think you have to be out of work for a year or more before you can apply for government disability benefits. That is not true.
As long as you are not receiving benefits today, you can apply for Social Security Disability Insurance — commonly called SSDI. Still, to receive those benefits, you will have to show that you expect your disability to prevent you from working for at least a year.
The problem you might run into is not providing enough medical evidence to prove that your disability will prevent you from working for that long.
This is where having a lawyer on your side can help. One of the most common reasons for denied SSDI benefits is a lack of medical evidence. Either that, or there’s a simple mistake in the application.
That mistake might be on the part of the applicant or on the part of the Social Security Administration. To avoid mistakes, talk to an SSDI lawyer.
You also do not have to give up on your SSDI claim if it’s denied.
The truth is that most SSDI claims are denied on the fist try. Why? People make mistakes, or they don’t provide all of the medical records needed for a successful claim.
If your application has been denied, you can appeal the decision. This allows you to go before an administrative law judge — face-to-face — to talk about your disability and how it affects your life and your ability to work. An SSDI lawyer can help you present your evidence and argue your case. The likelihood of approval is much higher at this stage than in the initial application stage.