Have you recently become disabled? If so, and if you’re like a lot of disabled workers, you probably never thought you’d have difficulty working one day. But according to the Social Security Administration (SSA), the chances of people becoming disabled is probably greater than they realize. “Studies show that a 20-year-old worker has a 1-in-4 chance of becoming disabled before reaching full retirement age,” reports the SSA.
The SSA pays disability benefits through the following programs: 1) the Social Security disability insurance program (SSDI), and 2) the Supplemental Security Income program (SSI). For the purposes of this post, we are going to discuss SSDI, and what documents you need to supply to the SSA during the application process.
What Information Do I Need to Supply?
The SSA says that people should apply for disability benefits as soon as they become disabled – they shouldn’t wait. The SSA says that it takes about three to five months to process an application, which is why it encourages people not to delay their application.
When you apply for disability benefits, you’ll need to get certain information to the SSA. The good news is that the SSA may be able to process your application faster if you help the agency by getting it the information it needs.
The information the SSA needs from you:
- Your birth certificate (or baptismal certificate).
- Your Social Security number.
- Detailed contact information (the names, numbers and addresses) for all doctors, clinics, and hospitals that took care of you, as well as the dates of your visits.
- The names and dosages of any medications you are on.
- All medical records that are in your possession.
- Any laboratory and test results.
- A summary explaining where you worked and what kind of work you did for your employer.
- Your most current W-2, or if you’re self-employed, this last year’s federal tax returns.
The best way to speed up the application process is to be represented by a Dallas SSD attorney from The Zendeh Del Law Firm, PLLC. Contact us today to get started.