Basic Questions for Disability Eligibility

Many calls we receive are those who are up for review wanting more information or needing assistance.The following is helpful for those just starting on their claim and also those who at the stage of appealing during their review. As disability and claims representatives, we ask you a lot of questions to make sure you are eligible to receive disability. We put together a few questions we found on the Social Security web-site that are helpful as you go through this process.
1) Are you working?
a) Not working? Great! Let’s keep going.b) Working? This presents a problem, as it could lead you  to   be disqualified from receiving.   Please speak to a representative to find more clarification.
2) Is your condition “severe”?
In order for a condition to be severe it must interfere with basic work-related activities.   Make sure you have evidence of this happening. If you are going through your review process, make sure you have documented medical evidence from this year that states that your condition is the same and how you are still treating it.
3) Can you do the work you did previously?
This applies to the question above.  More than likely your condition worsened and you needed to leave your job because it was interfering so much. If not, then assess if you could do the work you were previously doing. Again, if you are working you will need to provide documentation of that.
4) Can you do any other type of work?
This one is self-explanatory. If you were a truck driver, could you now work at a  desk instead?  If you were operating heavy machinery, could you now answer telephones? Think about it, and if you find you can not have medical evidence showing why you are not able to do any type of work.
September 7th is the deadline for applications for the Labor Department’s registered apprenticeship program. Perhaps you find yourself at a crossroads now where you feel you may be able to do other work or your condition may have healed a little bit. This program is an expansion grant that “will help workers train for jobs in information technology, health care, manufacturing, building trades, cybersecurity, and business services.” This is not just extended to those with disability, but is also extended to all who feel encouraged to apply for a fresh start. Click here to apply.