The Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program provides benefits to disabled individuals. Being disabled does not mean you will automatically qualify for these benefits, though. The Social Security Administration (SSA) will only award benefits to individuals who are unable to work as a result of their disabilities. For this reason, the SSA will need to review your work history during the application process to determine whether or not your disability prevents you from working.
If you are applying for SSDI benefits, make sure you follow these tips when submitting your work history:
Describe Your Job Duties
Do not make the mistake of simply listing your employer and the position you held when submitting your work history to the SSA. You will need to go into detail about your job duties so the SSA understands the physical and mental requirements for the job.
For example, let’s say you were a cashier at a grocery store. This role involves much more than scanning items and handing receipts to customers. Cashiers often have to lift heavy items, bag groceries, stock the store shelves, and bring grocery carts in from the parking lot. If you fail to mention these job duties, the SSA may not understand why a back injury could interfere with your ability to work.
Do Not Skip Questions
The work history form is very long and detailed, so it’s fairly easy to forget to check a box or answer a question. But, the SSA could reject your application if you fail to provide enough information on the work history form. For this reason, it’s best to double check your work history form to ensure you did not skip any questions prior to submitting it to the SSA.
Take Advantage of the Remarks Section
Applicants have the option of leaving additional comments regarding their work history in the remarks section at the end of the form. This is your last chance to convince the SSA that you are truly unable to work due to your disability, so take advantage of this section.
Describe the skills you acquired at each position so the SSA knows what kind of work you are capable of performing. You can also go into detail about how your disability prevents you from being able to perform specific job duties. Even if it seems obvious to you, it never hurts to put it writing and help the SSA connect the dots.
Are you applying for SSDI benefits? If so, the attorneys at Armstrong & Vaught, P.L.C. can help. We will assist with every step of the application process to give you the best chance at securing the disability benefits you deserve. Call us at (918) 582-2500 or toll-free at (800) 722-8880 or complete the simple form below for a free consultation with a skilled attorney.