What Information Do I Need to File for Social Security Disability Benefits?

Whether you are looking to file for SSDIB or SSI benefits, the list of things you will need to complete a disability application are relatively similar. This blog will discuss what kind of information you need to file for SSD benefits or SSI benefits.

First of all, to complete an SSI or SSD application, you will have to have your full name, your address, your social security number, and the city you were born in. In addition, a disability application requires the names of all doctors you have seen one year prior to the date you are alleging you became disabled. That means if you are alleging that you became disabled on January 13, 2022, we would need the names of all doctors you have seen since January 13, 2021. Moreover to complete an SSI or SSD application, you will need to provide the names of any hospitals you have been in for the same time period noted above. A Social Security disability application will also ask for the following information" a list of your current medications, whether you were ever in the military, whether you ever worked for the railroad or federal government, how far you went in school, did you even obtain any vocational training, and what type of jobs you have held in the past 15 years. You will also have to provide marriage information for any marriage that lasted more than 10 years including the name of your spouse, your spouse's date of birth, the date you were married, and when the marriage ended. Lastly, in order to file a disability application you will need to list all medical conditions that you suffer from.

A Social Security disability application will consider every medically determinable impairment that you have, whether they are physical or mental conditions or a combination of both. Social Security will consider whether these conditions prevent you from performing any work, which Social Security calls substantial gainful activity. If you can prove that your mental and/or physical conditions prevent you from being able to perform any work full time, then you will be found medically eligible for SSD or SSI benefits.

You can file a disability application by going online to www.ssa.gov, by calling Social Security, or by having a trusted disability attorney like myself file the application for you.

In addition to the above, an SSI application will require one extra step than an SSD application requires. After filing the application with the above noted information, when someone files for SSI benefits they must also demonstrate that they are below a certain means level. We call this the SSI asset test and it is designed to determine if you own any stocks, bonds, mutual funds, property, and the like.

Please see my previous blog titled How do I File for Disability Benefits or click on the SSI Practice Area Tab on my website for more information on the SSI resource limit or call my office and I would be happy to answer your questions.