More than half of all applications for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) are denied every single year. While some of these denials are unavoidable, a shocking number of them are the rest of mistakes that could have been prevented. If you applied for SSDI or SSI and had your application denied, these reasons might be why:
- Mistakes on the paperwork for your application
- The single most common reason applications are denied is also one of the most easily prevented: people make mistakes on their application. These paperwork errors are typically simple errors or omissions, such as forgetting to fill in certain sections, or misspelling a name or address. Unfortunately, if not corrected in a timely manner, these mistakes will lead to automatic rejection, regardless of the merits of your case.
- Failing to respond to calls from the SSA
- If you do have any issues with your application, the Social Security Administration (SSA) will typically try to contact you to fix the errors. However, their time for each application is limited, and they will not keep trying to reach you forever. If you provide incorrect contact information or fail to respond to attempts to contact you, they may simply throw your application out.
- Failing to meet economic requirements
- Both SSI and SSDI benefits come with specific economic requirements that must be met before you can qualify for them. SSDI requires that you accumulate a certain amount of work credits by engaging in paid work and paying Social Security taxes. SSI requires that you be below a specific income threshold. If you fail to meet these criteria, your application will be rejected.
- Not following doctor’s orders
- In order to qualify for SSDI or SSI benefits, you must have a medical condition that is sufficiently disabling that it cannot be managed even when adequately treated. However, if your condition is not being treated by a doctor, or if you refuse to follow a doctor’s prescribed treatment, your application may still be denied. This is because a disability that can be adequately managed through a treatment regimen is not considered sufficient cause to grant disability benefits.
- Working too much
- Ultimately, SSDI and SSI benefits are intended to provide for people who are unable to work or provide for themselves. Thus, if you do too much work and accrue too much income, you may be excluded from obtaining disability benefits through the SSA. However, the best way to know what you may be eligible for is to speak to a lawyer with knowledge of Social Security disability law.
The attorneys of Sullivan & Kehoe place a special focus on assisting disabled veterans. Our veterans’ disability lawyers are still available for remote consultation on your legal issues. Call our office at (800) 395-7830 to schedule a consultation in our New York City, Garden City, Kings Park, Riverhead, or White Plains office, or visit our contact page.
