MISTAKES THAT KILL YOUR SSDI APPLICATION

Getting Social Security disability is tough to begin with.  Making these mistakes will kill your application:

1.  FAILURE TO FILL OUT ALL THE FORMS.  Social Security will send you a ton of forms.  Page after page after page.  It's tempting to ignore them, put them off, or fill them out haphazardly.  This will kill your chance of approval.  The forms are tedious and hark work but absolutely essential.

2.  CONTRADICTING YOURSELF.  You will be asked for the same information on different forms and in different ways.  If you say one thing on one form and a different thing on another form, you can destroy your chance of approval.  Be consistent.  

3.  WRITING ILLEGIBLY.  My handwriting is terrible and very few people can read it.  Yours may be bad, too.  That's why you need to print.  That's right, just like you did in kindergarten or elementary school before you learned to write.  Make those nice block letters that everyone can read.  Take your time!

4.  MISSING DOCTORS.  Social Security only orders medical information from the doctors you list and identify on your application.  If you skip a doctor, clinic or hospital, their information won't be obtained.  If you don't give a full, accurate mailing address for each medical provider, no information will be obtained.  

5.  BEING VAGUE ABOUT YOUR SYMPTOMS OR LIMITATIONS.  Don't say "pain," say "low back pain" or "left shoulder pain."  Don't say, "I can't stand very long."  Say, "I can only stand about 15 minutes."  Be specific, not general.

6.  MISSING DEADLINES.  Social Security is as slow as a case of Skid's Itch when you're waiting on them.  But when they are waiting on you, they want you to be johnny-on-the-spot.  Miss a deadline and you're toast.  Turn things in on time, or better yet, early.  Never miss an appointment.  And when they say you have 60 days to file an appeal, they mean 60 days not "about 60 days."  60 days, not 61.

7.  NOT ASKING FOR HELP.  We can't be good at everything.  Handling Social Security cases or appeals may not be your thing.  Get some help.  Remember, an attorney cannot charge you a fee unless you win and also collect some back pay.  And the amount of the fee is limited by Social Security.