The monthly stipend isn’t the only reason to apply for social security disability benefits. People who receive financial assistance through SSDI also receive medical benefits.
Even if your pride keeps you from asking for financial assistance to help you stay afloat while you are disabled, those medical benefits are probably pretty tempting. Struggling over whether or not to apply for SSI or SSDI can be a painful process. In the following article we’ll attempt to help you make a decision by laying out the reasons both for and against applying for social security disability benefits in Louisiana.
Reasons You Should Apply for Social Security Disability Benefits
- You have a severe physical or mental condition that is considered severe.
- Your severe mental or physical condition will not resolve itself/be resolved with the help of medication or therapy within a year.
- Your mental or physical condition is so severe that it prevents you from earning enough money to live on—an amount most states “cap” at $1070 for people with sight and $1800 for people who are blind.
It is important to understand that it is not just you who has to believe these things. You must be able to prove these things to a caseworker within the Social Security Administration. This means getting medical professionals to back you up (and provide documentation to that effect).
You will need to provide proof that you paid into the Alexandria Social Security System before you became disabled. You will need to provide proof that employers will not work around your disability. If they are willing to work with your disability, you need to prove that even with that accommodation you will not earn enough to disqualify you for the benefits. That is a lot of work.
Reasons Not to Apply for Social Security Disability Benefits
- Your doctor does not think your condition is severe enough to keep you from working.
- Your doctor believes that your condition is only temporary (will resolve itself in less than a year).
- You have a source of income that grosses you more than $1070 a month if you are a seeing person or $1800 a month if you are blind. Yes, this might seem meager to you, but the state counts it as enough to live on.
- You haven’t been working long enough to qualify for SSDI and your family’s assets and other income disqualify you from SSI.
It is important to understand that you do not have to take the opinion of the first doctor you see as fact. In any other case you would seek a second opinion, right? You need to get second and sometimes even third opinions here too. If you truly believe that you are too injured or disabled to work, you need to become your own advocate—especially where medical professionals are concerned.
How to Be Your Own Advocate
Insist on tests to prove your conditions severity or lack thereof. Always request copies of these tests and your doctor’s notes. Like with other medical issues, you might need to visit several doctors to obtain a proper diagnosis.
When you go this route, it is important to have a professional backing you up. Don’t ever try to navigate the waters of SSDI alone. A professional advocate will help make sure that the doctors you see and the proof you get will hold up in the event that your application gets denied or if you need to request a hearing.
What Should You Do?
Ultimately the decision is up to you. Weigh the criteria against the fight. Many people say that the hardest part of deciding whether or not they should apply for Lafayette Social Security Disability Benefits was deciding whether or not they were up for the battle. Unfortunately, this is a system that is currently designed to keep people out. This means you have to be prepared to fight with everything you’ve got to get the help you need.
When you win that fight, though—you’ll be glad you put in the time and effort. It certainly beats not trying at all, right?
Ready to apply for social security disability benefits? Contact us at 888-468-3741, send a message; or chat online with a representative any time.
