Imagine it this way. There is a huge structure with high walls and barred windows. Inside there are hundreds of billions of dollars stacked neatly in heaps of crisp, fresh $100 bills. There are guards posted and they will only release a few of those $100 bills each month and only to those who have gained the right to them. Hundreds of thousands of people come to the gate of the big house every year, hoping for some survival money. Seven out of ten get turned away and go away empty handed. Some come back next month but many do not.
Of course, I am using my imagination to picture the big house as the US Social Security Administration. While it is not literally piled high with $100 bills, of course, hundreds of thousands of persons do go there hoping to get a payment to sustain their lives with food, utilities, medical treatment - some of the basis necessities. And seven out of ten do go away disappointed and often desperate.
All of that said to make a point: there must be a well thought out strategy for approaching the Social Security program if we expect to successfully get through the front gate and receive a benefit. Even though you've paid into the system for most of your life. Some of the points of a well-thought strategy must include:
- Am I covered by Social Security disability insurance?
- Why am I disabled?
- Does my medical or mental condition prevent even simple, entry level work?
- How can I prove the severity of my condition(s)?
- Can I make the decision maker believe me?
One of my blog posts from a few months ago was entitled "Things That Don't Matter to Social Security." I think every claimant should read that article before applying for Social Security disability because it forces us to focus on what does matter in a Social Security disability claim. It does not matter that I am not employable. It doesn't matter that nobody will hire me. It matters not that my job skills are ancient, the economy has tanked, my license has expired, there are no job openings in my hometown or in my field of work; and it doesn't matter that the work I once did is now performed by automation.
I must have a strategy to win Social Security disability and my strategy must focus on Why I am Disabled, not Why I Can't Get a Job. A great industry has grown up around Social Security claimants representation. Whether that is good or bad depends on your viewpoint. But the point is that you must have a strategy to win disability benefits and the strategy must focus on the right points--the points that matter. People walk away from Social Security claims empty handed every day - often people who really have a disability - but had no strategy to prove it. I promise you, without a strategy the system will let you down. If you don't have a strategy, please call someone who can help you develop one. If your claim is important, it is that important.
Call us in Huntsville, AL (256) 799-0297
