Information About Family Members
- Social Security numbers and proof of age for each family member who may qualify for benefits and
- Proof of marriage, if your spouse is applying for benefits, as well as dates of prior marriages, if applicable.
If you don’t have all the documents you need, don’t delay filing for benefits. We will help you get the information you need.
Other Ways You Can Apply
Apply With Your Local Office
You can do most of your business with Social Security online. If you cannot use these online services, your local Social Security office can help you apply. You can find the phone number for your local office by using our Office Locator and looking under Social Security Office Information. The toll-free Office number is your local office.
Apply By Phone
If You Do Not Live in the U.S. Or One of Its Territories
Contact the if you live outside the U.S. or a U.S. territory and wish to apply for retirement benefits.
Mailing Your Documents
If you mail any documents to us, you must include the Social Security number so that we can match them with the correct application. Do not write anything on the original documents. Please write the Social Security number on a separate sheet of paper and include it in the mailing envelope along with the documents.
What Is The Social Security Administrations Sequential Process For Evaluating Someones Disability
In every case, the Administration will ask:
- Are you working or able to work such that you will earn at least $1,350 per month?
- Is your disability so severe that you cannot lift objects, walk, sit or stand for a lengthy period, or perform simple cognitive tasks?
- Is the condition causing your disability on a regulatory list of medical conditions that qualify as approved disabilities under the Administrations rules?
- To what extent does your disability keep you from doing the work tasks you performed before you became disabled?
- What other kinds of work tasks are you able to perform?
The Administrations ultimate conclusion as to whether you are disabled will be based on how these questions are answeredand the medical files and records you provide in support of that application.
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Is Your Condition Found In The List Of Disabling Conditions
For each of the major body systems, we maintain a list of medical conditions we consider severe enough to prevent a person from doing SGA. If your condition is not on the list, we must decide if it is as severe as a medical condition that is on the list. If it is, we will find that you have a qualifying disability. If it is not, we then go to Step 4.
We have two initiatives designed to expedite our processing of new disability claims:
- Compassionate Allowances: Certain cases that usually qualify for disability can be allowed as soon as the diagnosis is confirmed. Examples include acute leukemia, Lou Gehrigs disease , and pancreatic cancer.
- Quick Disability Determinations: We use sophisticated computer screening to identify cases with a high probability of allowance.
For more information about our disability claims process, visit our Benefits for People with Disabilities website.
How To Apply For Social Security Disability Insurance
There are three ways to apply for SSDI:
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Lost Or Stolen Federal Payments
Report your lost, missing, or stolen federal check to the agency that issued the payment. It’s usually one of these paying agencies. If your documentation indicates it’s a different agency, and you need its contact information, look in the A-Z Index of U.S. Government Departments and Agencies.
To get an update on your claim, contact the Treasury Department Philadelphia Financial Center at 1-855-868-0151, option 1.
Can You Apply For Social Security Disability After Retirement
If you are nearing retirement age and have a disability for which you could receive benefits, you might be wondering if you can apply for social security disability after retirement. Its essential that you understand how Social Security disability and retirement benefits can work together and work against each other. Of course, you can always apply for Social Security Disability benefits after retirement, but that doesnt mean you will receive them.
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Basic Eligibility For Benefits
The SSA must see that you meet basic eligibility requirements before further reviewing your application for benefits. This basic eligibility includes having:
- A formal diagnosis of a potentially disabling condition
- A diagnosed condition that will disable you for 12 months of longer
After the SSA confirms that you meet basic eligibility, they will then move on to review your medical condition in detail and verify that you meet all program requirements for SSDI and/or SSI.
People Who Are Blind Or Have Low Vision
If you are blind or have low vision, Social Security offers several adjustments to disability benefits to accommodate the additional difficulties associated with loss of sight.
These accommodations include being able to work toward Social Security credits after you become blind, delayed benefits that will increase if you continue to work without receiving disability benefits and a higher monthly salary cap.
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If Your Application Is Denied
After we review your application and the information you provided, we may decide you do not meet the qualifications for disability benefits.
If you disagree with our decision, you have the right to ask us to look at your application again. The notice you receive from us that says you don’t qualify will explain how to appeal our decision and the time period in which you must make the request.
If we decide you don’t qualify:
-
Because you are not disabled under our rules, you can appeal our decision online.
The online disability report will ask you for updated information about your medical condition and any treatment, tests, or doctor visits since we made our decision.
Social Security Disability Insurance: How To Apply For Benefits
Over 8 million Americans receive disability payments from the Social Security Administration, mostly through Social Security Disability Insurance, or SSDI.
To qualify, you must be diagnosed with an injury or condition that prevents you from working for at least a year or is expected to result in death.
Another form of disability benefit is Supplemental Security Income, or SSI, which is funded by the Treasury Department and aids individuals whose financial resources are below specified limits.
Applicants for both programs need to present substantial evidence to support a disability claim. The process can take a considerable amount of time, usually involving an in-person or phone interview.
Here’s what you need to know to apply for Social Security disability benefits, including what is available and what conditions qualify.
For more on Social Security, find out when SSDI checks go out, how to access your benefits online and how retirement benefits are calculated.
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Use Trained Professional Disability Advocates To Prepare And File Your Disability Claim
When someone is living with a disabling physical or mental impairment, they often find the challenges of collecting all the medical records from all their prior doctors, therapists, lab testing sites, and other healthcare providers too difficult to overcome.
Expert professional Social Security disability advocates are trained to work with disabled individuals who need help collecting, organizing, preparing, and presenting the evidence that supports their valid claims for SSD or SSI benefits.
If you qualify for Social Security Disability or Supplement Security Income benefits, dont put off applying because you think its too much work, or you think the process is too complicated. Let us do it for you.
How To Receive Federal Benefits
To begin receiving your federal benefits, like Social Security or veterans benefits, you must sign up for electronic payments with direct deposit.
If You Have a Bank or Credit Union Account:
- Call the Go Direct Helpline at .
If You Don’t have a Bank or Credit Union Account:
- Direct Express debit card – a pre-paid debit card. Get help by calling the Go Direct Helpline at .
Make Changes to an Existing Direct Deposit Account:
On Go Direct’s FAQ page, learn how to make changes to an existing direct deposit account. You also may contact the federal agency that pays your benefit for help with your enrollment.
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What’s The Difference Between Social Security Disability Insurance And Supplemental Security Income
Both SSDI and SSI pay benefits to people that the Social Security Administration determines have physical or mental disabilities severe enough to prevent them from engaging in “substantial gainful activity” for at least a year or that are expected to end in their death.
The Social Security Administration generally uses the same medical criteria to determine if a disability entitles an adult to SSDI or SSI and collecting both benefits is allowed.
SSDI is an earned benefit. As with retirement benefits, it comes from paying Social Security taxes during the course of your employment. In 2022, the estimated average monthly SSDI benefit was $1,358.
There’s a five-month waiting period for SSDI benefits, so payments will not begin before the sixth full month of disability. You’ll be eligible for Medicare coverage after you’ve received disability benefits for two years.
SSI, meanwhile, is aimed at disabled Americans with very limited income or assets. It doesn’t come from previous earnings. In fact, you can receive SSI benefits if you’ve never worked or paid Social Security tax.
But your income and assets must not go above very strict caps: In 2022, the maximum federal SSI payment was $841 a month for an individual and $1,261 for couples receiving SSI jointly. Income above those amounts can make you ineligible to receive benefits.
Other benefits, including workers compensation and pension payments, can also impact how much you receive.
What Happens After I Apply
Social Security Disability is a federal program, but it is administered by each state through a special office known as DDS, for Disability Determination Services. The Social Security Administration looks at your application to see if you have enough credits to receive benefits. If you do, your application goes to your state DDS office for an initial determination.
The DDS workers go over your medical records and contact your doctors. They do not ask your doctors to determine if you are disabled. DDS does inquire about your medical condition, when it began, what the tests show, what treatments youve received, medications youre on and, most significantly, how your condition may limit your abilities. Physicians and vocational experts working for DDS go over your records to help make an initial determination. If your medical documents are incomplete, DDS may ask you to get more records or set up an appointment for a consultative medical exam.
Getting approved at the initial level is hard. Between 75% and 80% of initial applications are denied, often because of missing information or because the applicants medical problem does not fit Social Securitys definition of a disability or because the applicant did not have enough credits to receive benefits.
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Using The Grids For Age 60
Below are the grid rules for people aged 60 and over. To see how the SSA would decide your case based on the grids, first find the table that discusses your RFC level. Next, find the row that describes your education level and previous work experience. The third column shows the decision the SSA will make based on those two factors.
New York How To Apply For Disability In Ny
If you become disabled in New York, you have several government resources to which you can turn to receive financial help. If you have a substantial employment history, you are probably eligible for Social Security Disability Insurance benefits, if your disability meets other requirements. If you have not been working and paying into the SSD system for many years, then you may be eligible to apply for Supplemental Security Income . This blog post explains how to know if you qualify and how to apply for the benefits you deserve in New York.
At London Disability Advocates for Social Security, we have helped thousands of New Yorkers receive the government disability benefits to which they were entitled and which they can rely on. If you have question or you need help applying for your disability benefits, contact us right away and let us help you get your SSD or SSI benefits.Are You Eligible for New York Social Security Disability Benefits?
The Social Security Administration requires that your illness or injury meet its definition to be eligible for SSD benefits. To receive monthly SSD benefit payments, your disability must be a
- 1). medically determinable
- 2). physical or mental impairment,
- 3). that lasted or is expected to last at least 12 months ,
- 4). and prevents you from performing substantial gainful activities.
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How Do You Apply For Disability Benefits In New York
While you are not legally required to use a lawyer or professional advocates to apply for disability in New York, you will want to ensure that your benefits application is prepared correctly, is filled out completely, and that all the documents and medical records that support your claim for benefits gets included with your SSD or SSI claim.
At London Disability Advocates for Social Security, we have a full staff of highly trained professional advocates who work on Social Security Disability and Supplement Security Income applications and who interact every day with the Social Security Administration to press our clients cases for approval.
What Is The Difference Between Ssi And Ssdi
SSI eligibility is determined based on age, disability and available resources, while SSDI is based on a persons disability and work credits.
For most people, medical requirements that will allow you to receive disability payments are the same for both, and disability is determined using the same process. Both SSI and SSDI are managed by the Social Security Administration as well.
| SSDI | |
|---|---|
|
Location and monthly income |
Record of earnings |
The most notable difference between SSI and SSDI is that SSDI is only available to people who have accumulated enough work credits, while SSI is available to low-income individuals who have not accumulated enough work credits or who have never worked. In addition, SSDI is based on your work history, but SSI is strictly based on a financial situation of considerable need.
Additionally, SSI benefits begin on the first of the month that a social security disability application is submitted and approved, but for SSDI there is a five-month waiting period. People who qualify for SSI can also receive Medicaid benefits. After receiving SSDI benefits for two years, a disabled person will be eligible for Medicare benefits. The amount of SSI benefits depend on where a person lives and what their monthly income is, while SSDI benefit amounts are dependent on a persons earnings record.
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Applying For Social Security Disability And Ssi Benefits
You can apply online for Social Security Disability benefits, you can file in person at your local Social Security office, or by calling 772-1213.
To find your local Social Security office, click here and enter your home zip code. Locate a Social Security Office.
Before you begin your application, you should collect certain information regarding your medical treatment, work history and other facts. To view a checklist of the information that you will need, Disability Checklist.
When you are ready to apply for Social Security Disability Benefits, Apply for Disability. You will not have to complete the entire application in one sitting. You will have the option of saving your application and returning to it later.
You can also complete most of your application for SSI Disability benefits online, but to finish the application process you will have to visit a Social Security office. You canApply for SSI to begin the SSI application process for yourself or for a child.
Getting A Social Security Number For A New Baby
The easiest way to get a Social Security number for your child is at the hospital after they are born when you apply for your childs birth certificate. If you wait to apply for a number at a Social Security office, there may be delays while SSA verifies your childs birth certificate.
Your child will need their own Social Security number so you can:
- Claim your child as a dependent on your income tax return
- Open a bank account in their name
- Get medical coverage for them
- Apply for government services for them
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Benefits For Children With Disabilities
A child under age 18 may have a disability, but we don’t need to consider the child’s disability when deciding if he or she qualifies for benefits as a dependent. The child’s benefits normally stop at age 18 unless they are a full-time student in an elementary or high school or have a qualifying disability.
Children who were receiving benefits as a minor child on a parents Social Security record may be eligible to continue receiving benefits on that parents record upon reaching age 18 if they have a qualifying disability.
Next Steps For Apply For Ssdi Or Ssi Benefits
Evidence required by DDS for case documentation
Once you apply for disability benefits with the SSA, the Disability Determination Services , a division of the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission, will review your case. DDS will review medical information and vocational information, if necessary, that includes:
- A history of all work performed in the last 15 years
- A description of the physical demands and skill requirements for each job
- Educational history
When all required medical and vocational information is received, the disability examiner and staff physician and/or psychologist carefully evaluate each claim, using a sequential evaluation process.
The following people or agencies can help supply the information that is needed to process a claim for disability benefits.
- Treating physicians and psychologists
- Consultative examinations authorized by the DDS
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