Who Determines If My Disability Qualifies Me for SSDI?
Recently disabled adults may be eligible for certain disability benefits through the Social Security Administration (SSA), including Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments. In order to qualify for disability benefits administered through the SSA, the first step is to meet the SSA’s strict definition of a disability. Unlike other legal definitions of a disability in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), for example, or definitions used solely by health care providers, the SSA’s definition is very narrow: you must have medical evidence that shows you are unable to engage in any substantial gainful activity because of a medical condition that is either expected to result in your death, or that has lasted for a continuous period of at least one year (or is expected to last that long).
Recognizing the importance of meeting this requirement, you may be wondering: who determines if my disability qualifies me for SSDI?
Understanding the Disability Determination Process
Once you submit your SSDI application to the SSA, it will be processed through a local field office and then through an agency called Disability Determination Services (DDSs), according to the Social Security Administration. The local field office will determine non-medical eligibility, and then your application will get sent to a DDS where a disability determination will be made.
How does the DDS make this determination? According to the SSA, the DDS will first attempt “to obtain evidence from the claimant’s own medical sources first.” If the DDS cannot make a disability determination based on that evidence, then it will “arrange for a consultative examination (CE) to obtain the additional information needed.” What this means is practice is that the DDS may seek additional information from the health care provider treating the SSDI applicant or seek information “from an independent source.”
Once the DDS obtains all necessary evidence, staff at the DDS who are trained in making disability determinations will make an initial disability determination. They will be looking at the medical evidence in relation to the definition of a disability used by the SSA. The next steps will depend on whether the DDS determines that the SSDI applicant meets the disability required or finds that the applicant is not disabled according to the SSA’s definition.
Contact a National Disability Benefits Attorney Today
Submitting a full and complete application for SSDI benefits is essential if you want to be approved for benefits. One extremely important part of the process is providing the medical evidence that is necessary to show that you meet the SSA’s definition of a disability. To ensure that your claim has the best chance of being successful upon initial application, you should seek legal advice from one of the experienced national SSDI benefits attorneys at the Law Offices of Stephen Barszcz. We have years of experience working with clients who are submitting SSDI claims for the first time, as well as clients who are going through the appeals process. No matter what stage you are at in seeking SSDI benefits, we are here to help. Contact us today to learn more about how we can assist you.
Sources:
ssa.gov/redbook/eng/definedisability.htm
ssa.gov/disability/determination.htm
