California residents seeking disability benefits typically find the application and approval process frustrating and stressful. The Social Security Administration (SSA) puts a great amount of effort into making sure that applicants do not attempt to defraud the disability program. As such, many people who deserve these benefits, including Supplemental Security Income, receive a notice of denial instead of the approval they need.
Because of the care the SSA takes to ensure applicants are eligible for benefits, it can take a long time to hear back from the administration. You can streamline the application process to receive a (somewhat) faster response by seeking help from a disability attorney. This ensures that you do not make any errors when applying for Social Security Disability or Supplemental Security Income, and that you have all of the required documentation.
The following section contains a list of the most common documents required during the application process:
- Names and contact information of your medical providers
- The dates of your doctor visits
- All medical records that you have, including a list of your prescribed medications
- Birth certificate or proof of U.S. citizenship
- Military discharge papers if applicable
- Latest W-2 Form from or your federal income tax return if self-employed
- Any workers’ compensation records if applicable
- Social Security numbers of your family members
- Bank account information
- Types and dates of jobs worked during the 15 years before your disability
Having this documentation at your fingertips can help you avoid any unnecessary delays in the application process. To make certain you will not need any additional documentation not included here, consider asking a disability lawyer to guide you through your application. Applying for benefits will probably still take a while, but being well-prepared with authoritative assistance does help expedite the process.
