APPLYING FOR SOCIAL
SECURITY BENEFITS
APPLYING
FOR
BENEFITS
APPLYING
FOR SSD OR
SSI BENEFITS
IN MACOMB,
OAKLAND,
WAYNE
COUNTY
Whether you are applying
for Social Security
Disability (SSD or SSDI) or
Supplemental Security
Income (SSI) based on
resources and assets, you
will begin your application
with Social Security. We
can file your application
in-person or over the
phone (by calling
248-509-0910). Disability
applications are riddled
with specific questions
aimed at confirming your
identity and gathering
information about you and
your medical condition.
While some people choose
to file the application on
their own, many people are
denied at the initial level
with only 60 days provided
to file an appeal. Having
an experienced disability
advocate with you from the
start ensures your
application is complete
and accurate so that you
won’t have to wait longer
than necessary for a
decision.
THE STEPS
INVOLVED IN
APPLYING
FOR SSL
AND/OR SSI
Anyone who has dealt with
government bureaucracy
is well aware of the
headache and stress that
can follow. Applying for
SSD and SSI benefits is no
exception. The Social
Security Administration
(SSA) follows a prescribed
5-step evaluation process
for each adult disability
claim filed. Our advocates
will help you understand
the process and what will
be needed for you to win
your benefits.
STEP 1
The first step the SSA
takes is to examine your
work record. If you are
presently working, their
agents will calculate how
much your earnings have
averaged per month
during the last year. As of
2017, if you are earning
over $1170 monthly ($1950
if you are blind), Social
Security considers you to
be engaged in Substantial
Gainful Activity (SGA) and
does not regard you as
disabled. Unfortunately,
this is true even if your
injury or illness has
significantly lowered
your earning power.
STEP 2
The second step is an
evaluation of the severity
of your impairments. This
is first accomplished by
examining your medical
records. In order for the
SSA to consider you
disabled, we must prove
through medical evidence
that your disability
interferes with routine
work-related activities. In
addition, a standard of
duration is applied. This
means that in order to be
declared fully disabled,
medical professionals
must expect you to be
impaired for at least one
year or to expect that your
present condition will
result in your death. As
you can see, the
government sets a high bar
for being classified as
disabled.
STEP 3
If, having examined your
medical records, the SSA
is still uncertain about
your state of disability,
your application will be
sent on to the Disability
Determination Services
(DDS), a state-level
agency under the Michigan
Department of Health
Services. A claims
examiner at DDS will
decide whether or not you
meet their standards for
disability.
STEP 4
In this step, your ability to
do the work you did
previously is assessed.
Social Security will
determine if your
disability gets in the way
of your ability to do the
work you have done for
the past 15 years. If your
conditions cause you to be
too limited to perform
your typical work, you may
be found disabled under
special Medical-Vocational
Rules depending on your
age, education, and
skill-set. However, even if
your conditions prohibit
you from working these
jobs that you are used to,
SSA will still move on to
the fifth and final step.
STEP 5
The last step that the
Social Security
Administration takes in
the disability evaluation
process is to figure out
whether you can do other
types of work available
despite the limitations
you may have. In order to
assess your ability to
work, the agency will
consider several important
pertinent facts, such as:
your age, your level of
education, your past work
experience, and whether
you have transferable skills
for other occupations.
Most disability applications
come down to this fifth and
final step. You will want to
make sure that your claim,
from the beginning once
your application is filed,
contains sufficient
information about your
work history and
background information so
that nothing is missed
that could improperly
result in a denial of
benefits.
CONTACT