We Literally Wrote The Book On
Ohio Workers’ Compensation

Whether you are the victim of a workplace injury or disabilities, we can help you get the benefits you deserve.

  1. Home
  2.  » 
  3. Social Security Disability
  4.  » Incomplete or missing information in SSDI applications slows the process

Incomplete or missing information in SSDI applications slows the process

On Behalf of | Mar 29, 2013 | Social Security Disability

Many applications for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits are denied by the Social Security Administration (SSA). Statistics support this, with roughly 70 percent of initial applications failing to be approved by claims adjudicators. In 2010, SSA reports that only 27 percent of all adjudications were approved. There are probably as many reasons for this as there are applicants.

One reason is the applications missing necessary data or documentation what would allow benefits reviewers to approve the application. It only takes one missing element of a claim to render it unacceptable. Because the key element of a SSDI application is typically a medical condition or illness, the importance of the medical evidence of your disability cannot be overstated.

This is especially critical for some disabilities. If you have various types of pain that is associated with your back, you need something more than simply stating your back hurts. You need to supply evidence of medical treatment, say, an initial visit to a doctor with medical records where they note the type of injury and the limitations that injury caused.

If you then have multiple, subsequent visits to doctors or healthcare providers that further document your back problems, that record, combined with your educational background, training and work experience can then be used by SSA to determine if you are disabled.

In recent testimony in Congress, a former administrative law judge suggested one way to speed up the SSDI benefits approval process would be to raise the requirements of the evidence that needs to be presented at a hearing. When evidence is missing, hearings need to be delayed or rescheduled, and this slows every part of the process down.

Working with an experienced SSDI attorney can help to avoid incomplete documents and prevent your claim from being delayed or denied.

Source: LifeHealthPro.com, “Witness: Set tougher SSDI procedural rules,” Allison Bell, March 20, 2013