Should I Apply For Social Security Disability?
With that being said, if you suffer from a long-term disability that prevents you from working, you should apply for disability as soon as possible
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) are both intended to provide disability benefits to those who suffer from a long-term disability. These are not short-term disability benefit programs. Your disability needs to prevent you from working and it needs to be expected to last at least 1 year or result in death.
The main reason you need to apply right away is that it can take a long time, sometimes years, before your claim for disability is approved.
With that being said, if you suffer from a long-term disability that prevents you from working, you should apply for disability as soon as possible. The main reason you need to apply right away is that it can take a long time, sometimes years, before your claim for disability is approved. Over 70% of applications for SSDI and SSI are denied. Many people make the mistake of giving up when their claim is denied. What you need to do as soon as your application is denied is apply for a reconsideration appeal. A reconsideration appeal basically means that your claim will be sent back to Disability Determination Services (DDS), the agency responsible for approving disability claims, so they can take a second look at it. Unfortunately, only very few reconsideration appeals are approved; however, if your reconsideration appeal is denied, your next appeal will be for a hearing in front of an administrative law judge. Social Security Disability hearings are where most disability claims are approved.
Do not delay applying for Social Security Disability; it will be a long process.
If you have been denied disability benefits in the past, or if you are thinking about applying for SSDI or SSI, take advantage of free consultations offered by most disability attorneys. Click here to contact an experienced disability attorney in the San Diego or Los Angeles area (all of Southern California).