Applying for Social Security benefits? Here is what you need

Finding yourself unable to work due to a medical condition is overwhelming. When you cannot hold a job, you cannot earn the money necessary to support yourself and your Tennessee family. It can be especially overwhelming if your condition is one from which you will probably never recover. While your situation is frustrating, there are options available to you. 

Disabled individuals have the right to seek benefits and support through a Social Security disability claim. Even with a valid disabling medical condition, you may find that it is actually quite complicated to secure the benefits you need. Before you move forward with the application process, you may want to start by seeking a thorough understanding of what you need to do to apply.

Providing the right information

The Social Security Administration holds a strict view of disability. This means that it is especially crucial for you to provide the right information when preparing your application. Lack of supporting documentation or errors with your application can lead to setbacks, such as a denied claim and an appeals process. You will need the following information to apply for disability benefits:

• Dates of birth for yourself, your spouse and your children
• Information about past military service and discharge
• Documentation about all marriages and divorces
• Bank account information and tax returns from the previous few years
• List of any prescription medications you are taking
• Contact information of someone who can talk about your medical condition
• List of jobs you had for 15 years before the onset of your disabling condition
• Information about doctors, hospital stays and medical records
• Information about workers' compensation claims

Even with all of this information, you may find that your initial claim still was not successful. This naturally feels like a setback, but you can still take certain steps in efforts to further your case. You have the right to seek a reconsideration of your claim or move forward with an appeal.

Understand your options

If you believe that you could be eligible for Social Security disability benefits, you may want to first start with a complete evaluation of your case. When you work with an experienced disability attorney, you will have the advantage of having help from someone who knows the system and knows what to expect from the application process. When it is your financial well-being on the line, it is prudent to prepare thoroughly for the application step.