Social security disability benefits are specifically intended to provide help to those with qualifying disabilities. However, this doesn’t mean that the process of accessing these often extremely necessary benefits is easy. A Social Security Attorney in Melbourne FL can help his or her clients to understand the complicated application process, determine eligibility, collect relevant information from doctors, and file appeals should they be necessary.
There are a few different criteria for eligibility to receive social security benefits. The first is the ability to prove a permanent disability. In the case of social security disability benefits, a permanent disability is defined as a condition that lasts more than one year. Having documented proof of the duration of the disability is important to proving eligibility, so medical records and any other available paperwork should be carefully filed and kept up to date. Those who do opt to hire a Social Security Attorney in Melbourne FL should bring copies for their attorney’s review.
Secondly, it must be proven the condition in question prevents the person applying for benefits from finding gainful employment. In addition to proving that the disability precludes current employment, it must be shown that, usually due to impairment, age, or education, the applicant will also be unable to procure employment in a new line of work.
Unfortunately, upwards of 60 percent of applicants are denied disability in the first stage of determining eligibility. This is due to an increase in the number of applications being processed rather than a decrease in the number of permanently disabled individuals. Hiring an attorney such as those at Matheson Horowitz & Devonmille can drastically improve an applicant’s chances of receiving the benefits to which he or she is entitled.
The most common cause for denial is an inability to adequately prove how severe an applicant’s disability is. Often, this is due to insufficient medical records or insufficient work history in the case of social security disability insurance. There are very specific procedures that must be followed during the application process, and claimants’ unfamiliarity with the application and appeals process also accounts for many denials. Many applicants don’t even realize that they are entitled to file an appeal should their initial applications be denied. Should an appeal be necessary, hiring an attorney becomes even more important, as the appeals process can be quite convoluted.
