The Social Security Disability Application

The initial application for Social Security Disability benefits can be a long, tedious, and boring process. However, if you go into the application knowing what to expect and already having your answers prepared, the application can be a quick and painless process. There are three main types of information that you will need for the application.

First, you will need to have all of the basic information about yourself that you have put on every application you have ever filled out. For example, you will need your full name, address, phone number, date of birth, and social security number. Second, you will need to have information about your work history. This is the part where many people, not expecting to have to have this information available, end up giving up in frustration. You will need to know the name and contact information for every job that you have worked in the last 15 years. You will also need to know the dates that you worked there, how much you earned and the type of work that you did. For most people, it can be next to impossible to remember all of this information, and so approximations are acceptable. The most important part is remembering what type of work you did and what sort of earnings you had.

Third, and most important, is your medical information. You will need to know the name and contact information for every place where you have ever been seen for any medical reason that is in any way related to your disability. You will also need to know the dates of the visit, any tests that you done, and any medication that you have been on. This section is the most important because the Social Security Administration uses this information to gather your medical records, and whether you are approved or denied depends almost entirely on those medical records.