Common Mistakes on SSD Disability Applications
Maybe you’ve already applied for SSD benefits and you just received your denial letter, or maybe you are ready to start your application and you want to avoid common mistakes. Either way, improving your SSD application is easy when you know the most common mistakes people make.
Looking for more personalized advice regarding your application? The team at The Dansby Law Firm is ready to look over your application and help you in your pursuit of SSD benefits. Call us at 334-834-7001 to set up a consultation now.
Vagueness or Inaccuracies About When Your Disability Started
The SSD application will ask when your disability started and when it became serious enough to keep you from working. It’s important to be very clear about your answers to these questions and have the evidence to back them up.
Not Being Clear Enough About Your Condition
You may assume that the Social Security Administration knows enough about various conditions that you don’t need to provide lots of information on yours. While they know about disabling conditions, they specifically want to know how your diagnosis has impacted your ability to work. Don’t be afraid to be specific about the onset of your condition and how it has influenced every aspect of your life.
Leaving Out Certain Health Conditions
Listing all of your disabling health conditions might feel like overkill, especially if most of your issues can be attributed to one diagnosis. The SSA wants to know about your disabling conditions, even if that means spelling out multiple diagnoses.
Remember, your goal is to paint a complete picture of your health and your ability to work. In many cases, multiple diagnoses are related. Some may even be caused by your initial diagnosis. Explain how each of these disabilities affects your life and how each diagnosis has affected your ability to work.
Underestimating or Exaggerating Your Symptoms
It’s hard to be direct about your pain levels and symptoms. It may feel like whining or it may make you feel weak when society has always told us to be strong and resilient. But your SSD application is not the place to put on a brave face and downplay your symptoms. Be extremely clear about how your disability has limited your life and how it has negatively affected your ability to work.
On the other hand, don’t exaggerate your symptoms because you hope that the SSA will approve your application more easily if you do so. SSA employees know a red flag when they see one, and symptoms that don’t line up with your diagnosis will make them question the truthfulness of your entire application. Trust that your application will be enough on its own merits and stick to the facts of your case.
Not Providing Enough Documentation
It’s not enough to provide information regarding the date of your diagnosis and the general limitations you’ve experienced because of it. You want to give the SSA as much proof of your disability as you can. Include diagnostic tests you’ve had done, treatments you’ve tried that have helped or failed, analyses from your treating physicians, and limitations placed on you by your doctors. In general, it’s better to provide more evidence than the SSA needs than it is to provide too little.
Inaccurate Work History
Why does the SSA need your work history? They don’t just want to know if you can work in your current field. They want to know if your work history lines up with any other field you could work in. They will only pay out disability benefits if you are completely unable to work. If they find out you left a job or previous education off of your application, that will raise a red flag. They will then dig into the rest of your application to look for inconsistencies and inaccuracies.
Choose The Dansby Law Firm for Your Claim
Whether you are ready to start your application or you want to fight a denial, The Dansby Law Firm can provide the assistance you need. Let’s start by setting up a time to talk about your application and disability. Call 334-834-7001 or reach out online to schedule your consultation now.
