Applying for Social Security Disability Benefits

Hello! Filing for disability is a major life change and can be scary. I thought that since I am applying for SSD and there are many others out there in my situation I would allow you into my world and take you along for the ride to disability determination. So, hold on to your seats and lets dig in!

First of all, I would like to give you a brief background on my situation. I was diagnosed with Lupus (SLE) in 1999, when I was going into my senior year of high school. Then, in 2002, came Fibromyalgia; 2005 was Membranous Glomerulonephritis; 2009 was Narcolepsy. Along the way I had bits and pieces of my illnesses form into new illnesses. My skin Lupus is called Tumid Lupus (TLE), I have Thrombocytopenia, Raynaud's syndrome, 3 herniated discs, mood swings and bouts of depression, and the list goes on and on. Like I said, I am trying to make this as brief as possible so we can get to the good stuff! If you want to know more about my illnesses, got to the Mayo Clinic or WebMD website. These two sites are full of fantastic information.

Okay, so back to the meat and potatoes... the process! First thing you will want to do is call around to every doctor, hospital and clinic that has treated you for your illnesses and request copies of your medical records and diagnostic tests (blood work, sleep studies, x-rays, etc.). Some providers will mail your records to you, however if you are able to, I would strongly suggest picking up the records yourself. Pick up a 3 ring binder and organizer tabs to organize your records in. I organized my records according to doctor, with the most recent documents first.

After gathering your records, contact the Social Security Office and request an appointment to apply for disability benefits. There are several ways of applying for disability: by phone, by internet application, by walk-in at your local office, or by office appointment. I preferred to call for an appointment and apply for disability benefits at my local Social Security Office. There is a lot of paperwork to fill out, and I did not want to leave out any important information.

When I called for an appointment I was given a date that was two weeks out, which I found was just the right amount of time to schedule follow up visits with my doctors and inform them of my decision to apply for disability benefits. I had downloaded and printed out a form for my rheumatologist to fill out called a Physical Residual Functional Assessment (SSA-4734-U8). This form is approved for use in Social Security Disability cases, and I thought, why not get the ball rolling? I also had asked my neurologist to write a letter to Social Security regarding my disability that he is treating me for. My doctors are all on board with my decision to apply for disability benefits, which is a must for your case.

Some other things to consider as evidence of your inability to work may be your attendance record at your employment, notarized letters from your caregivers and friends who witness how your disability affects your life, and a personal affidavit. I will post excerpts from my personal affidavit in the blog following this one, or you may click here to read it now.

The Social Security Office sent me forms to fill out ahead of time and bring with me to my appointment. I filled out the forms at my leisure and in the comfort of my own home. I was able to take my time and make sure that I filled everything out as accurately and descriptive as possible.

My appointment went well. The appointment lasted about 20 minutes, and because I had brought all of the necessary paperwork, my work history, medical records, social security card and other form of ID, there was no delay in processing my initial paperwork.

Since attending my first appointment, I have received additional paperwork to fill out. Social Security is very quick with this paperwork and I had received the packets within a week of my appointment. This paperwork (form SSA-3368-BK) required me to write in greater detail about how my disabilities affect my daily life, what I used to be able to do before becoming disabled that I am no longer able to do, and lists of my medications and any side effects. It is extremely important to fill out this paperwork and send it back to Social Security within 10 days of the date of the letter sent along with the paperwork.

So, for now, I sit here and wait! I have submitted my records, had my office appointment, my doctor appointments, written my personal affidavit, and have filled out all of the paperwork sent to me thus far.

Please stay tuned as I go through my disability application! I will post more as I learn more, and my ultimate goal is to hopefully help others like me!

For more useful information, please be sure to check out Lissa's World.