Social Security Benefits

Having a disability can be harder than just dealing with the everyday challenges a disability brings to you. First, you have to accept the fact that you are disabled. This can be harder than you think. You cannot give up physically, emotionally, or financially. Once you have accepted the fact you are disabled your battle has just begun. This is the point when you deal with the SSA (Social Security Administration). You may make it through this process with no problem. But that means you are the in the 10 - 15 percentile. The other 85 - 90% will be denied regardless of disability. And finally after this 3 month to 3 year process has come to an end, then you will begin to focus your energy on getting better without the distraction of dealing with SSA process, which when doing it alone can seem like a part-time job.

Most people understandably have trouble accepting the fact that they are becoming disabled or maybe have already become disabled. Sometimes the body and the mind tend not to agree. This can be an even greater struggle when the brain tells the body "We have a family to support, a lifestyle to maintain, or someone who depends on me to support them." These thoughts make people work through all types of adversity, even, disability. Most people who work through the effects of their disability will eventually be forced to quit, either by their body or their employer. And this lack of attention to your disability can put your body in worse condition at a faster pace than the disability would have. On the other hand those without help from others will feel the same effects from stress of not paying the bills, supporting their family, and maintaining the lifestyle they have grown accustomed to.

Once you have accepted the fact you can no longer work full time, you can apply for Social Security Benefits. This is not welfare. This is not a charity. This is not a loan that you have to pay back. This is money that has been taken out of every paycheck you have ever earned your entire life. It was taken out in case you needed to file for disability. Well now you do. And then you will find out it may take up to three years to get those benefits. Some client's cases can take even longer if they need to be taken the federal courts. The majority of claims for social security are denied the first two times before going to an administrative judge. Hiring an attorney can be helpful and reduce the stress of dealing with S.S.

But first you will need to do some research and find an attorney. Then the attorney's office will ask you some questions to see if they can help you. They are some factors that may or may not qualify you for Social Security benefits. Attorneys are going to want to know if you qualify for benefits before they take your claim and represent you through this sometimes lengthy process. A lot of man hours and hard work go into winning these claims. They are going to want to know if you have earned enough credits, meaning have you worked enough to be eligible for benefits. Also have any of your disabilities been a direct result of drug or alcohol abuse. Benefits can sometimes be denied if a judge finds out ongoing drug use is a contributing factor in you claim. Most attorneys require a person with drug or alcohol in their background to have extended amounts of time clean or sober before they will take that claim. There may be other questions asked of you by the attorney's office depending on what their policies are at that time. If they can help, then you can start worrying about your disability rather than filing paperwork, meeting deadlines, and making sure all is filled out correctly before submitting. You also will not have to fill out the lengthy questionnaires that S.S. requires all applicants do. If the attorney can not help you than you can still pursue the claim on your own. The first thing you need to do is file for disability. Online or in person are some options you have when doing this.

Keeping yourself educated on this process can make it less difficult to deal with when it comes time for a person accepts a disability. Do your research when selecting a qualified attorney. This can also make the process run with less stress and help you to focus on you.