Social Security Disability benefits help people sustain themselves when health problems prevent them from working and making an income.
This kind of support can help you survive—and help you take care of yourself the way you need to when you’re dealing with severe medical conditions. Disability benefits come with monthly checks and access to Medicare health coverage.
Numbers from the Social Security Administration (SSA) showed that recently about 485,000 people have been receiving Social Security Disability benefits in Michigan.
But getting there isn’t easy. Years of data show that more than three-quarters of people get denied benefits when they first apply.
At Levine Benjamin Law Firm in Detroit, we help people successfully apply for disability in Michigan. We’ve been serving people in Michigan for over 55 years, our Michigan disability benefits lawyers have guided thousands of people through this process.
In this blog post, we’ll present the highlights of how to apply for disability benefits in Michigan.
Information You Need to Apply for Social Security Disability Benefits in Michigan
First off, how do you know when you should apply for Social Security Disability benefits?
When you realize you cannot work because of your health—and you’re too young to retire—that’s when you should apply.
The standard for winning benefits is that you can’t work any significant amount, the reason is health problems, and this situation has lasted or will last at least a year.
So when you’re preparing to apply for disability in Michigan, as you would anywhere in the United States, you need to gather information that supports all of those points, including:
- Medical documents showing what ailments you have
- Records showing what doctors or other health care providers you’ve seen
- Records of hospitalizations and doctor’s appointments
- Medical test results
- Records confirming the symptoms you have that make working impossible
- Reports about the treatment you’ve received and how it’s worked
- A list of your prescription medicines
- Statements from your doctors
- Statements from people who know you about how your illnesses impact your daily life
- A list of several years of your jobs
- Descriptions of the physical and mental demands of your jobs
- Details about your age, education and other facts about you personally
When you have this information together, you can begin filling out all the forms that Social Security requires to apply for disability benefits.
Tips on Applying for Social Security Disability
As you work on your Social Security Disability application, make sure to do the following:
- Answer every question on the forms
- Don’t leave anything blank
- If something doesn’t apply to you, write “not applicable”
- Give complete, detailed information
- Add more details in the “remarks” sections on the forms
- Give correct information
- Don’t exaggerate your health problems
- Don’t downplay how much your health limits you, either
When you’re ready to file your application for Social Security Disability, you can do it online, call Social Security on its toll-free number to apply by phone, or apply at a Social Security office.
If you apply in-person at a Social Security branch, you’ll need to call ahead to make an appointment.
Or you can get a disability lawyer to file your application for you.
In fact, experienced disability attorneys from Levine Benjamin can take over the legwork of compiling your documents and making sure your forms are properly filled out.
When health problems are draining your energy, a Michigan disability lawyer can ease the burden of pursuing the benefits that can improve your life.
And, you pay no attorney fee until you win benefits.
So you can get someone experienced in Social Security Disability claims working on your application for you at no upfront cost.
If you’re in Michigan, you can’t work due to bad health, and you need to apply for Social Security Disability benefits, get in touch with our Michigan disability benefits lawyers today.
