Unlike many firms, Levine Benjamin Law firm will file your disability claim for you.
How to Apply for Social Security Disability in Michigan & Ohio
Social Security Disability benefits—and the monthly checks and Medicare coverage that come with them—could make your life easier when health problems force you to stop working.
But how to apply for Social Security Disability? It’s far from easy. When you’re starting an application for disability benefits, follow these steps:
No. 1: Gather Your Medical Information
Collect medical test results, reports from doctors, details about your symptoms and how they limit you, dates and locations of medical appointments and procedures, and contact information for your doctors.
No. 2: Gather Your Work History Information
Look up and write down your most recent jobs, the duties each job required, the dates you did each job, and contact information for your employers.
No. 3: Gather Your Basic Personal Information
To apply for Social Security Disability, you’ll need to list your marital status, tax filing information, Social Security number, home address and more.
No. 4: Fill Out Social Security Disability Application Forms
With your health history and work background readily available, you can fill out the pages of forms Social Security Disability requires, answering questions about how your health interferes with your daily life, when you had to stop working, if you’re still working any amount, and more.
No. 5: Submit Your Social Security Disability Application (3 Ways)
Once you have your application forms together, you can submit them online, over the phone, or in person at a Social Security office. The most common method is online.
Is there an easier way to file for Social Security Disability? Get help from a disability lawyer.
An experienced disability attorney can guide you through the steps, reducing your work, making sure you get the right information, and helping you avoid mistakes.
Not every Social Security Disability lawyer helps from the beginning. Some say to apply on your own and call back when you’re denied and need to appeal.
At Levine Benjamin Law Firm, we help you from your very first application for disability benefits.
We’re the top Michigan disability law firm by the amount of benefits we’ve won for clients. We’ve helped 80,000 people in Detroit, across Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and around the country.
From applying to appealing, we help you every step of the way.
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If I’m Eligible, When Should I Apply for Social Security Disability?
If health problems have seriously slowed you down, and you had to stop working or seriously cut back on work, you should probably apply for Social Security Disability—as soon as possible.
First consider if you might qualify. These are the qualifications for getting Social Security Disability:
- You have severe health problems.
- You can’t work because of your health problems.
- It looks like this will be the case for at least a year.
Sometimes people feel they can wait to see if their health gets better and they can return to work.
But you should apply for disability benefits as soon as you realize you can’t work in the first place.
One reason is that it takes a long time to get approved: months, a year or more. It’s best to start the process as soon as possible.
Another reason to start quickly is that when you’re finally approved for disability benefits, you get a lump sum of back benefits covering much of the time you waited.
It can be a significant amount. Sometimes the sooner you start, the more you can collect in back benefits in the end.
Starting soon also shows Social Security how serious and urgent you are about needing benefits.
If it turns out that your health recovers enough for you to work again—the best-case scenario and a crisis mercifully avoided—you can always drop your disability claim.
But before you know for sure, don’t delay the process of seeking benefits that could prove to be your financial lifeline later on.
Start with a FREE disability application consultation from Levine Benjamin. >
What Do I Need to Apply for Social Security Disability?
These are some of the ingredients to gather for a successful Social Security Disability claim:
- Reports from your doctors
- Reports from nurse practitioners, therapists and other health professionals you’ve seen
- Medical test results
- Medical imaging results
- Description of your symptoms
- Prescription details
- Records of medical procedures
- Records of hospitalizations
- Description of assistive devices you need
- Treatment plans
- Reports on results of treatment
- Description of treatment side effects
- Assessments of your everyday functioning
- Education and training background
- Listing of your recent employers
- Employment dates
- Job descriptions
- Current employment situation
- Current income from employment
- Statements from family, friends, supervisors and co-workers
You’ll answer much of this on the Social Security Disability application forms and also submit supporting documents.
Social Security itself will seek medical records directly from your health care providers, but you have to make sure they get the correct contact information for your providers and collect the right information.
Doctors don’t necessarily know the Social Security Disability system, so you also may have to guide them in providing information in the form Social Security needs. Your disability attorney can walk you through this.
Which Social Security Disability Benefits Program Should I Apply For?
Social Security runs two different benefits programs for people in different situations.
Which kind of disability benefits you should apply for depends on these factors:
- Have you worked for several years and paid Social Security taxes from your paychecks?
- Have you been out of work for a long time, or have you never worked much?
- Do you have few financial resources, like savings, investments or property?
If you have significant work history, you’ll probably apply for the type of benefit called Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI).
SSDI covers people who worked and paid a qualifying amount into the system. You cannot still be working and earning more than limits set by Social Security to get benefits, but for SSDI there are no limits on your savings, investments or real estate.
If you haven’t worked and paid into Social Security in a long time, or ever, you’ll probably apply for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) instead.
To be eligible for SSI, you must have extremely limited financial resources or property outside of your primary home and one car.
The monthly payments you get from SSDI are partly based on your past earnings and are often higher than SSI payments, which are based on a standard national rate.
SSDI gives you early access to Medicare health coverage after a waiting period. SSI qualifies you for Medicaid.
If you would like help understanding what kind of Social Security Disability benefits to apply for and how to do it, contact the disability lawyers at Levine Benjamin.
Applying for Social Security Disability FAQs
Do I have a strong case for Social Security Disability?
If you can’t work for the long term because of health problems, you could qualify for Social Security Disability benefits. You must be unable to work your most recent jobs, or any other jobs that your training, background and age might allow. You can have just about any type of health problem and be eligible for disability benefits, but your case must be severe.
Does my health problem qualify for Social Security Disability?
Many different health problems can qualify for Social Security Disability. Social Security keeps a list including dozens of impairments that can qualify and describing what evidence you need to provide with each one. But your impairment doesn’t have to be on the list to get benefits. The severity of your condition is more important than your exact diagnosis. In your disability application, you have to prove that no matter what your ailment is, it’s so severe that you can’t work.
What if I am still working part time?
You cannot qualify for Social Security Disability if you are working and earning too much. The purpose of benefits is to help people who can’t work enough to support themselves.
Social Security sets a limit on your earnings from work, which it typically adjusts each year, called “substantial gainful activity,” or SGA. If you go over SGA, they will reject your benefits claim.
If you’re under SGA, you could still get disability benefits, but you should know that any amount of work could make your claim more complicated. People at Social Security reviewing your application could see your work as a sign that you are capable of working for a living.
Be careful about working and how you explain any current work to Social Security.
When should I apply for Social Security Disability?
Apply as soon as you know you can’t work because of your health. Don’t wait to see if you feel better enough to return to work. The disability application process takes a long time, months or over a year. It’s better to get the process started so your benefits aren’t further delayed. If it turns out you can recover quickly and go back to work, you can always drop your claim. But if you still can’t work, you don’t want to have to start from the beginning waiting for a decision on your claim.
Should I apply for SSDI or SSI?
Social Security runs two disability benefits programs, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Both require you to have health problems that make it impossible to work. The difference is that SSDI is for people with significant work records. You become eligible by working and paying Social Security taxes. SSI doesn’t require a work history. For SSI benefits, you have to show that you have little in the way of savings or investments. If you have years of work background, it’s usually better to apply for SSDI because it will pay more. But there are cases where you might apply for SSI instead or both. A Social Security Disability lawyer can help you decide what’s best for you.
What documents do I need to apply for Social Security Disability?
You’ll need identification, citizenship confirmation, financial and income records, medical records, and work history details for your Social Security Disability application. You will fill out multiple forms describing your symptoms, your job duties, and how your medical impairments now get in the way of your job. You may need to collect statements from people who personally know you about how your health has impacted your life. You may need to work with your doctor to get special assessments of how you function day-to-day. A Social Security Disability lawyer can help you put together everything you need to apply.
Can I apply for disability benefits online, by phone or in person?
The most common way to submit your application for disability benefits is online. You can also apply in person at a Social Security office. And you can apply by phone. If you work with a disability lawyer, they can file your application for you and make sure you get everything filed correctly.
How long does it take to get benefits once I apply?
It takes far too long. It takes several months to get an initial response from Social Security. If they deny your benefits at first, which is common, it takes more months to appeal the denial. Reaching a hearing with a disability judge—a key step in appealing—can take the better part of a year. When you add it all up, the entire process can easily over a year. This is why it’s important not to delay applying. It’s better to start moving your claim through the process than to wait. The good news is that when you win benefits, you get compensated for time that you waited. They award back benefits in one lump sum covering the period from when your health problems officially qualified you for benefits to when they finally award you benefits and your monthly checks start.
What do I get with Social Security Disability benefits?
Disability benefits come with monthly checks to help you stay financially afloat when your work and income stop because of your health. For Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits, you get different amounts depending on your past earnings, but it’s not a full replacement of your income. SSDI also gives you early access to Medicare health coverage. If you receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI), your monthly checks are a standard, national amount minus other benefits you receive if you have any. Qualifying for SSI also means you qualify for Medicaid. These benefits are crucial piece of maintaining your stability and peace when you can’t work due to bad health.