Before you apply for SSI Benefits In Southfield MI, make sure to consult us here at The Social Security Counseling Center
experienced southfield, michigan disability and social security attorney
You can file on line if you are seeking disability benefits based on your work record, commonly referred to as SSDIB. Another method you could use to apply for SSDIB is arranging a phone interview by calling the Social Security tele-communications center, 800-772-1213. Finally, you also have the option of filing in person by simply walking into your local office of SSA.
If filing by phone, a claims representative from the local field office will call you on a date certain, take your information and then correspond with you by mail, asking for signatures on necessary documents that are needed to process the claim. The final way is by having an attorney prepare your application. Having an attorney prepare and file your claim gives you some advantages in that most experienced attorneys know what Social Security is looking for, can avoid major mistakes that could follow the claim throughout the entire process.
Social Security Disability Insurance Benefit (SSDIB), is based on your work record in terms of how much you’ve worked, how recently you’ve worked and what your annual income was, all of which will affect not only your eligibility but also the amount you will receive if your claim is approved.
Filing for Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
If you have not worked for several years and you become seriously disabled, Supplemental Security Income, or SSI, may be available. But the big factor that you must keep in mind is that you have to meet the non-medical requirements, you have to be poor enough to be eligible. If you are on food stamps, receiving Medicaid, in a household with very limited income and suffering from a serious disease or condition affecting your everyday functioning, you would be a prime candidate to file for SSI. SSI can only be filed for in person at the local field office of Social Security located nearest your home address.
What Are The Potential Drawbacks Of Applying For SSDIB In Person?
One of the things folks don’t realize is that when you go in person to file and meet with a field office claims representative, a number of factors are recorded. How did you get to the field office? Did somebody bring you or were you able to drive? After you leave, the claims representative will prepare or summarize his or her observations during the interview. Generally, that interview is going to last about 45 minutes to an hour, and the observations made by that field office representative are documented. Those impressions follow the claim throughout the entire process. It is important to note that the initial claim will be decided by folks that will never see you in person. They will rely on what other people observe and report. At most, they will be a voice over the phone.
The agency that will make the initial decision will gather information, receive reports from doctors and hospitals, but never actually see you in person. There is no face-to-face interview. They rely instead on others. One of those people they rely on is that claims representative at the initial in person interview and the summary that person completes after you leave the claims office. That’s something that should be kept in mind. They note such factors as, did you have difficulty sitting, did you come in with a cane, were you using a walker, did you struggle to sign your name, did you have to run to the bathroom several times during the interview, were you nervous with interrupted speech, were you able to communicate and make yourself understood? These are some of the factors that are considered and recorded after the applicant leaves the Social Security field office.
What Are The Potential Drawbacks Of Applying For SSD Over The Phone?
The drawback is if you do have demonstrative evidence, meaning if I looked at you and could say, “Boy, this person is really disabled,” there is no way to record that during a phone interview. They do not see you; may be they can hear something in your voice, but from an observation standpoint, there is no way to record what that claims representative is actually observing. So the in-person interview is for someone who has obvious signs of limitations, physical and/or mental. Those kinds of applicants should file in person.
Is Applying Online A Better Method Compared To The Others?
No, it really doesn’t matter. Normally, whether you file in person or file online, the next agency that looks at the claim is the Disability Determination Service. Filing either by phone, online or in person really doesn’t make any difference and doesn’t affect the time for the claim to be processed.
For more information on Methods To Apply For SSD Benefits, a free initial consultation is your next best step. Get the information and legal answers you are seeking by calling [number type=”1″] today.
In order to meet the requirements for Supplemental Security Insurance or Social Security Disability benefits, the Social Security Administration requires that you be qualified as disabled.
There are normally a lot of questions concerning how Social Security defines disability.
The Social Security Act defines disability as the “inability to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment which can be expected to result in death or has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months.”
This means that you have to be disabled and not capable to work for a year or more, or have a serious or even a life-threatening condition.
How Social Security Determines If You Have a Legitimate Disability
There are 5 types of investigations that the Social Security Administration uses to conclude if you have a disability:
- Your recent inability to work.
If you are earning more than a certain amount each month, you will not meet the requirements for disability.
You may be able to work a small amount, but it is better to talk about any work that you may be considering with an expert social security attorney first, rather than discover that it’s too late and that you no longer meet the requirements to receive needed benefits.
- The severity of your medical condition
It is imperative to note that there are numerous circumstances that are not on the list that might qualify for a disability.
In all cases it is the severity of the situation and whether it extensively limits your capacity to work that might determine your eligibility for Social Security Disability benefits.
Severity is most often calculated by your ability to do basic necessary elements of activity such as walking, sitting, standing and remembering simple tasks or information.
- The List of Impairments
Social Security has a list of impairments that they use as the basis for determining the legitimacy of your disability.
There are numerous conditions on the list, including conditions that affect your skin, musculoskeletal system, cardiovascular system and GI tract.
Social Security also includes neurological issues and mental health situations on this list.
- Your ability to do the work that you have done in the past.
Social Security looks at whether your circumstances affect your ability to do the work you have done in the past. This grows in magnitude as you get older.
- Your ability to do any sort of work duties.
If you cannot give the effort on the job that you have given in the past, the government will make a decision as to whether or not you can be expected to complete other types of labor tasks.
This determination is based on age, physical condition and many other additional factors.
Find Out if You Qualify for Benefits in Michigan
If you are not capable of working for at least a year due to a physical or mental disability then you might be eligible for Social Security disability benefits. A large range of conditions, injuries and illnesses are considered to be eligible.
Our attorneys at Social Security Counseling Center can assist you to establish if you meet the requirements, as well as assist you in your claim. If you suffer from a physical or mental disability, call Social Security Counseling Center now for a quick discussion about your claim today.
Before your claim is filed! Make sure to get help BEFORE you file. You can talk to a member of our staff for a cost free overview of what to expect.
We will then determine how to file your claim. We will also find the differences and similarities between the two disability programs available through the social security system and whether you are eligible for one or both of them.
You will need a lawyer or advocate to successfully navigate the system to determine what evidence you will need and how to properly estimate your monthly benefit for you or your family.
We will discuss the non-disability requirements for each program and if we feel you need an experienced lawyer at the start of the claim then we can have a candid discussion about how the we are paid without any up-front costs or fees required.
Having an experienced attorney counsel you at the beginning can definitely help you to avoid many costly mistakes that could permanently affect your benefits.