If you’re suffering from a disability that is so severe that it’s limited your ability to work, then you need financial relief, and you probably need it sooner rather than later. But the Social Security disability claims process is notoriously slow. In fact, it may take several months to get an initial determination on your claim, but a significant number of cases end up initially denied.
When this happens, you’ll have to appeal the denial if you hope to eventually recover the benefits that you need. But this will take even more time. Up to a year or longer, to be more specific. This means that, in total, you could be waiting well over a year before you can recover the benefits that you need just to get by on a day-to-day basis.
What a long wait time means for you
So, what does all of this mean for you? It means that you need to be proactive on the front end of your case to maximize your chances of success at the initial determination stage and minimize your wait time. You need to understand not only the basics of disability law, but also the intricacies as they’re related to your specific condition. Then, you need to diligently work to gather the evidence necessary to meet your burden of proof. This means having ample medical documentation and other documentary and testimonial evidence that supports your position.
Give yourself the chance you deserve
With so much on the line, you can’t afford to give your claim a haphazard approach. Instead, you need to be aggressive in building your case while also anticipating how you can address any weaknesses that may arise. If you’d like help in figuring out how best to do that, then we encourage you to continue to read up on the topic and reach out for help as needed.