Social Security Disability FAQs: Why Did I Get Denied?

If you were denied social security benefits, you are probably wondering what went wrong. The Social Security Administration (SSA) denies 70-75% of initial disability claims every year, and the number of denied claims continues to rise as disability criteria get more difficult. There may be a number of reasons why your social security disability claim was denied. However, just because you were denied the first time doesn’t mean you shouldn’t push for an appeal. If you were denied for one of the following reasons, you can contact a social security disability attorney to get help with the appeals process:

1. You do not have enough medical documentation to prove your claim.
   Many people who apply for disability benefits do not see a doctor for treatment on a regular basis. Even if they do, they don’t keep track of when or for how long. Lacking a paper trail of medical records and doctors’ notes can put you at a disadvantage when trying to prove your disability.
2. You haven’t been to the doctor in a long time.
   If you haven’t been to the doctor recently, the SSA claims examiner may send you to a physician of his or her choosing to perform an impairment evaluation. These doctors, hired by the SSA, do very basic examinations which may not accurately depict the extent of your disability. They are only hired to give disability examiners a recent medical opinion on which to base their decisions and may not give you the best report.
3. Your claim was filed incorrectly or incomplete.
   Most of the time, the SSA makes the decision to deny your claim simply because you did not provide all of the information necessary to file it properly. The SSA does not put a lot of effort into making sure they obtain all of your medical records and other information; you may need to hire an attorney to ensure everything is filed correctly and on time.
4. You aren’t old enough.
   While there is no age requirement to claim disability, it is difficult to prove your case if you are under the age of 50. The younger you are, the harder it is to file for disability, simply because you may not have worked long enough to meet the income requirements. The general requirement is that you work at least half of your adult life in order to qualify for disability benefits.
5. You have too much income.
   Unfortunately, if you make more than $710 per month, you may not be eligible for social security disability benefits. According to the SSA, to be eligible, you must be unable to perform “substantial gainful activity,” meaning you cannot work to make enough money to support yourself or your family.
6. You haven’t worked long enough.
   You earn social security disability insurance by paying social security payroll taxes over several years of employment. If you have not worked enough years to contribute to the social security disability insurance fund, you may not be able to claim those benefits just yet.

If you have been denied SSDI, it doesn’t necessarily mean you aren’t eligible for disability benefits. You may be able to file for an appeal. To get help with your disability claim, contact the helpful social security disability team at George Sink, P.A. Injury Lawyers .