You apply for Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits, and you think you have a bulletproof case. You used to have a promising career. Now you’re injured, and you cannot work anymore. It will last for at least 12 months and likely for the rest of your life.
Then you get denied. If even you got denied, how many other applications saw the same fate?
The truth is that this is very common. Some sources claim that around 33% of all applications get denied every year, or one-third of the total. You are certainly not alone.
Instead of assuming that you’re out of luck and you cannot get the benefits, think about why the application got denied. For some people, it’s a simple paperwork error that they can rectify before resubmitting. For others, they thought they provided enough information about the disability, but they actually lacked all of the medical evidence needed to prove they were disabled. All they have to do is gather the right evidence and update the application.
Some denials are because people honestly do not qualify but not all. Many happen because of errors that can be fixed, so you should look at the denial as a request for more information. It tells you what next steps to take, not that you can never get benefits. It’s time to follow the process through.
If you have gotten denied and you are unsure what to do next — though you have no doubt that you need those benefits as soon as possible — make sure you take the time to look into all of your legal options.
