State Disability Insurance is an income supplement from the United States government. It’s available in five states across the United States. Unfortunately, Utah is not one of them. What it does have instead is the federal Social Security (SSI) disability benefits. It’s notoriously difficult to get approved for these benefits, but it’s not impossible. Here are some tips for getting your disability benefits approved.
Declare your onset date wisely
The SSA requires the onset date you became unable to work due to your condition. This date will determine how much back pay you will receive. Your onset date should be backed up by medical evidence and work history, even if your illness has been present since birth.
A good tip would be to tie your onset date to a medical event, like a hospital admission. You may also choose to state the date you last worked. It’s important that, regardless of what date you write, make sure that you have the medical evidence to show as proof that your medical conditions were impairing your ability to work.
Provide a comprehensive and accurate description of your illness
You’ll need to provide a detailed description of your illness. Beyond the name of your illness, you need to describe how it affects you on a day-to-day basis. Make sure to list every condition and symptom that impairs your ability to work.
Don’t downplay your condition to save face, but don’t exaggerate the severity of it either. Be as helpful as you can in painting an accurate picture of your experience with this disability. See to it that your description matches your medical records. It should provide an insight into what it’s like to live with your disability and how it interferes with your work.
Specify the requirements of your job
As you did with the declaration of your illness, go into specifics when it comes to describing your job. You should tell a personal account about how you do your job. This should tie in with your illness and how it impedes your ability to carry out tasks in your job.
Explain how your disability affects your daily life
Talk about your limitations and what you can or can’t do in the span of a regular workday. Social Security would want to know if you have the physical and mental capacity to work eight hours a day, five days a week. Be specific about how much time you allot to several activities, especially if you have to rest in between activities due to your condition. They would like to know how long you can do something without needing to stop and rest because of your disability or illness.
Provide accurate information about your treatment
Let them know which doctors you’ve seen and their contact information, what medications have been prescribed to you and that you have tried, and the results of the treatment. Mention also if you experienced any side effects from the medication. Social Services will cross-check this information with your medical evidence, so be thorough and accurate.
Present detailed information about your work history
Provide your dates of employment, the amount of time worked at each job, your job title, and a detailed explanation of duties you had to perform at each job. You may also mention briefly how your illness complicated your ability to carry out your duties.
If your application gets denied, you can always come back with a request for consideration. These tips will hopefully get your application accepted the first time around.
