Making the decision to apply for full time disability is a VERY personal decision and involves a number of factors – your individual symptoms, your job duties, your family situation, etc…. no two people’s situations are the same even if they have the same medical problems!

The financial aspects of becoming disabled can be even more intimidating than the personal ones. . If you can plan in advance, it’s a good idea. For example, if you have private long term disability insurance at work, you can take both that AND Social Security Disability – they will typically pay you the difference between the amount they would pay normally and your SSD amount. Unfortunately you don’t get the full amount of both. If you think you may apply for disability down the road a few months or even a year or more from now, check with your employer to see if you can join your company’s short and long term disability policies. You will probably be surprised at the low cost of this insurance coverage! Mine cost $1.25 per month.
You can apply at any Social Security office for Social Security Disability. They will ask you some questions, help you complete the initial application and then you will receive many more forms in the mail to fill out. They will also send forms to all of your treating physicians, hospitals, etc.
Don’t be discouraged if you are denied on the first and even second round of applications for SSD. That is very typical. You’ll get a letter in the mail. The reasons they give on the determination forms can be quite laughable, in fact. I remember vividly my first denial – it said “While you do have constant severe pain and double vision, we feel you are able to perform your work as systems support manager.” Oh sure!!
All the time I hear about people who are denied on the first round and just give up. Please don’t do that! Just fill out every form they ask you to complete, go to any doctor they tell you to go to (they will pay for the doctor visits), provide the info they may ask for by phone or mail, and make sure to keep filing deadlines for appeals forms. They will provide you with EVERYTHING you need. A lot of people will tell you that you need a lawyer. In my opinion, most people don’t need a lawyer to get through it, Filing for SSD is not hard. Just time-consuming and a real pain in the butt! In my case I was denied the first two times and was granted SSD on my third level, the administrative law judge hearing. The disability insurance company provided me with an attorney to attend this hearing with me and he was not given the opportunity to say one word! The judge just wanted to hear what I had to say.
Remember you can’t get Social Security or any other disability coverage unless you have earned it! So don’t feel guilty about applying for it.
Written by Sheila Talley © 2005