What Are My Chances of Being Approved for Disability Benefits?

Are you someone who has become disabled recently due to an injury in an accident or a medical diagnosis? If so, you are likely thinking about your options for receiving disability benefits through the Social Security Administration (SSA) and wondering about your chances for approval. While approval rates for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) payments can be low, it is important to remember that many applicants do not work with an attorney initially and instead attempt to complete the application on their own. The approval rates increase upon reconsideration, usually when those same applicants who were denied initially do seek legal counsel and provide complete and accurate information necessary for an approval.

The best way to be approved for benefits initially is to work with an experienced national disability benefits attorney on your application. Yet even if you already applied and received a denial, you have multiple appeal options, and our firm is here to help. In the meantime, we can tell you more about chances for being approved and how to ensure that you have the most complete and accurate application possible.

Understanding SSDI Approval Statistics 

In general, SSDI and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) — both types of Social Security disability benefits — approval rates vary by state, but the SSA also keeps track of national statistics. Over time, initial approval rates have declined, and as of 2019, the last year for which the SSA published statistics, fewer than 27 percent of applicants received an initial approval. However, when you look at the reasons for the initial denials, a very large percentage of applications initially are denied for medical reasons, and many are approved upon seeking a medical reconsideration.

It is critical to know that SSDI applications are complicated, and the type and degree of evidence necessary to show your eligibility is not as straightforward as many applicants think. The best way to avoid an initial denial when you apply for benefits is to work with an attorney who has experience handling cases like your own.

Requirements for SSDI Approval 

In order to be approved for SSDI benefits upon your initial application, you will need to meet two requirements:

• 1) You will need to show, based on medical evidence from an approved provider, that your condition is expected to last for at least 12 months or to result in death, and that your condition prevents you from engaging in substantial gainful activity; and
• 2) You have worked recently enough, and for a long enough period of time, to have acquired enough credits to be eligible.

Our experienced SSDI benefits attorneys can help to ensure your application contains all required information and evidence. And if you have been denied benefits initially, we can help with your reconsideration or appeal.

Contact a National SSDI Benefits Attorney Today 

If you have questions about SSDI approval or need assistance with an appeal, one of the experienced national SSDI benefits lawyers at the Law Offices of Stephen Barszcz can speak with you today about your options. Contact us today to learn more about how we can assist you.

Sources:

ssa.gov/policy/docs/statcomps/di_asr/2020/sect04.html

ssa.gov/benefits/disability/qualify.html