Most people know it can be highly difficult to get their disability benefits approved on the first try. As a matter of fact, only around 35% of applicants get their disability benefits approved on their first try. That means most people get denied and have to appeal the decision. There are many reasons why a disability benefits application can be denied, but here are three three most common mistakes that applicants make.
1. Your contact information is incorrect.
When applying for disability benefits, it is imperative that you give them correct contact information. Most applicants are contacted by a disability examiner at some point after their initial application - either by phone or through the mail. It could be that they need additional information or they need you to see a doctor to have your condition re-evaluated. Either way, if the disability examiner can't get in touch with you, your claim can be denied because of it.
2. You don't send in sufficient or recent medical records.
Another big mistake that disability applicants make is they don't send in enough medical records - or their records aren't recent enough for the examiner. It can be difficult to figure out how much is enough when it comes to sending in your medical records. It's a good idea to send in everything you have - even old records.
However, it is vital that you have medical records dated within the six months prior to filing your disability claim. After all, the disability examiner must know that your condition is still occurring before they will approve your claim. If you fail to send in sufficient - or recent - medical records, your claim will likely be denied.
3. You fail to include documentation on why you didn't follow your doctor's treatment plan.
If your doctor recommended any treatment that you refused, it will be in your medical records. As such, the disability examiner will see that you failed to comply with your doctor's treatment plan. This can get your claim denied if it is determined that the treatment your doctor recommended would alleviate your disabling condition.
There are excuses that the disability examiner will accept as valid reasons for not following through with treatment. Some of them include:
That list isn't exhaustive, but it gives you a good idea about what is an acceptable excuse for treatment non-compliance.
The thing is your claim will be denied if you don't provide documentation to back up why you failed to comply with your doctor's treatment plan. You can't just write down that the treatment violates your religious beliefs. You have to provide proof from your religion's doctrine of faith or from an elder in your church. Without the proof to back up your excuse, your social security disability benefits won't be approved.
Share24 March 2016
Over the years, I have learned several lessons the most difficult ways possible. One lesson that I have learned is to never try to handle legal issues without legal representation working with you. I have faced fines and penalties that could have been greatly reduced had I hired an attorney to represent me in court. This blog will show you several ways you could benefit from paying for the legal fees associated with hiring an attorney anytime a legal issue may arise. You will also find examples of how things can go terribly wrong if you don't hire an attorney.
