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Applying for Social Security Disability (SSD)

Monday, October 5th, 2009

You believe that you are disabled and would like to apply for Social Security disability (SSD) benefits. Or, you have a child that you believe is disabled and would like to apply for Social Security disability benefits for your child with disability.

How do you go about doing this? What do you have to do to apply for these benefits? Where do you have to go? Is the application hard to fill out? How long is the application? What information will you need to have to fill out the application?

These are all questions that you may have. These are questions that you need answered.

To begin with, there is an application that you have to fill out in order to apply for Social Security disability benefits. This application can be filled out in one of three ways.

The first way to fill out an application for Social Security disability (SSD) is by going in to your local Social Security Administration office where you can fill out the application in person. If you do not have a Social Security Administration office near where you live, there are two other ways to fill out the application.

You can fill out the application online. To do this, you have to go to the Social Security website which is www.socialsecurity.gov. Here, you can fill out an application for Social Security disability (SSD).

The other way to fill out the application for SSD is by telephone. The number to call is 1-800-772-1213. If you are deaf or hard of hearing the number is 1-800-325-0778.

When you go to the website to apply for SSD online, the first thing you are asked to do is to select the age category of the person who is disabled. If it is a child under the age of 18, you are then directed to a page that tells you how to apply for disability benefits for a child.

You have to complete an Application for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and a Child Disability Report. At the present time, only the Child Disability Report can be filled out online. The SSI application has to be done either by phone or in person.

Also on this page, you will find steps on how to apply for your child with disability. These steps include a Child Disability Starter Kit that answers common questions about applying for SSI benefits for children, and it has a worksheet to help you gather the information that you will need.

If you are applying for yourself or another adult over age 18, you are directed to a page that tells you how to apply for disability benefits for an adult. You have to complete an application for Social Security Benefits and an Adult Disability Report. Both the application and the Adult Disability Report can be done online, by phone or in person.

As with the page on filing for a child, there are also steps on how to apply for an adult on this page. There is an Adult Disability Starter Kit that answers common questions about applying for benefits for an adult, and a worksheet to help you gather the information that you will need to fill out the application.

Here is a list of the information that you will need to have in order to fill out the application. You will need:

Your social security number
Your birth or baptismal certificate
Names, addresses and phone numbers of the doctors, caseworkers, hospitals and clinics that took care of you and dates of your visits
Names and dosage of all the medication that you take
Medical records from your doctors, therapists, hospitals, clinics and caseworkers that you already have in your possession
Laboratory and test results
A summary of where you worked and the kind of work you did
A copy of your most recent W-2 Form (Wage and Tax Statement) or, if you are self-employed, your federal tax return for the past year.

If you have the above mentioned information ready, it may only take you 15-30 minutes to fill it out. The Social Security Administration estimates that it will take you 10-30 minutes to fill out the application with the average time being about 15 minutes.

The first section is personal information including your name, social security number, gender and date of birth. It also will ask you if your disability has lasted or is expected to last for at least 12 months.

The second page of the Social Security disability application asks for your address, phone number, the best time to call and your email address. Your language preferences are also asked for on the second page.

The third page of the application is about citizenship. It asks if you were born in the United States or a U.S. Territory or Commonwealth, and if you are a United States citizen.

Once you finish the three page application for Social Security disability benefits, you will be given an application number. In order for the date that you fill out the application to be the official application date, you have six months from that date to complete the application process.

There is then an additional information section that you have to fill out of two pages. The first wants to know if you have ever used any other social security number or name. The second page asks if you want to receive reduced Retirement benefits while waiting for the disability decision.

The next section is a three page section that asks about your family. It asks about your spouse and children.

The next section is about military service. If you were in the military, you will need to provide information about the branch you served in and dates of service.

The next section is about your work history. You will need names, dates of employment and what you did.

Next, is a section about direct deposit. Here, you will need to supply information about your bank or credit union.

You are then asked to list your disability or disabilities. At the end of the application you will need to authorize the Social Security Administration to get a copy of your medical records to confirm your disability and eligibility for Social Security disability benefits.

If you are denied by the Social Security Administration in your application for Social Security disability benefits, you may need the help of an experienced disability attorney to help you in appealing the denial. SocialSecurityHome.com is the website where you can contact a skilled disability lawyer who can help you in what can be a long and complicated process.

If you have been denied, do not wait or delay. Contact the reliable disability attorney at SocialSecurityHome.com, today.

Tags: disability, Social Security, social security administration
Posted in Social Security Disability | No Comments »

Polycystic Kidney Disease and Receiving Social Security Disability

Monday, August 10th, 2009

Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) is a progressive, genetic disorder of your kidneys. It is a kidney disorder passed down through families in which multiple cysts form on your kidneys, causing them to become enlarged. These clusters of cysts are noncancerous round sacs containing water-like fluid.

Polycystic kidney disease is not limited to just your kidneys, although your kidneys usually are the most severely affected organs. This disease can cause cysts to develop in other places in your body.

Polycystic kidney disease is also referred to in other ways. It is referred to as cysts – kidneys, kidney – polycystic, and autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD).

Approximately 7 million people have this disease worldwide. Around 600,000 people have polycystic kidney disease in the United States. It is the 4^th leading cause of kidney failure in America. Polycystic kidney disease is the most common life-threatening genetic disease.

There are two main forms of polycystic kidney disease. They are the autosomal dominant form and the autosomal recessive form. The autosomal dominant form is much more common but less severe. The autosomal recessive form is far less common but more severe. There is a rare form of polycystic kidney disease that is referred to as “PKD3″.

Polycystic kidney disease is passed down through families as a genetic disease. It is usually an autosomal dominant trait. Children have a 50% chance of getting this disorder if one parent carries the gene.

There are several signs and symptoms that you may experience with polycystic kidney disease. Some of these include:

Blood in your urine
Excessive urination at night
Back or side pain related to enlarged kidneys
Abdominal tenderness or pain
Increase in the size of your abdomen
Joint pain
Drowsiness
Painful menstruation for women
High blood pressure (link to page High Blood Pressure and Disability)
Nail abnormalities
Kidney stones
Kidney infections
Kidney failure.

You or a loved one may have polycystic kidney disease. It may be the reason you or your loved one is disabled and unable to work.

If this is true, you may need assistance. You may need financial help.

Have you or your loved one tried to get that financial assistance by applying for Social Security disability benefits or disability benefits from the Social Security Administration because of the disability caused by polycystic kidney disease? Were you or your loved one denied?

You or your loved one may be planning on appealing the denial by the Social Security Administration. If you do, remember this.

You or your loved one will need the representation of a caring disability attorney in what can be a long and trying process. The reason for this is because people who are represented by a confident disability lawyer like the one you will find at disabilitycasereview.com are approved more often than those who do not have an attorney.

Do not wait. Contact the accomplished disability lawyer at disabilitycasereview.com, today.

Tags: Social Security Disability, social security disability attorney, Social Security Disability Benefits, Social Security Disability Lawyer
Posted in Genitourinary | Comments Off

19 Years Under The Americans With Disabilities Act

Tuesday, July 28th, 2009

This week marked the 19th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act by then President George H. W. Bush.

The act has brought about changes to public spaces and building that make them more accessable by persons with disabiling conditions. It also brought changes to laws that require employers to make accomodations for workers who have special needs due to a disability.

The law has brought many positive changes to those who have needed a little assistance to live their lives to full potential, and we are thankful that its benefits will continue for generations to come.

Tags: Americans With Disabilities Act, George H. W. Bush
Posted in disability | No Comments »

Macular Degeneration and Receiving Social Security Disability

Wednesday, July 22nd, 2009

Macular degeneration affects the macula. This is the part of your eye that allows your central vision. It does not hurt, but it causes cells in your macula to die. As this deterioration or degeneration takes place, blurred central vision or a blind spot in the center of your visual field develops.

In some cases, this disease progresses so slowly that people notice little change in their vision. With other people, however, the disease advances faster and may lead to a loss of vision in both eyes.

Macular degeneration actually refers to a variety of eye diseases that affect your central vision. The most common eye disease is what is referred to as age-related macular degeneration.

There are 2 forms of age-related macular degeneration: dry and wet. The dry form of this disease is far more common than the wet. About 85 to 90% of the cases of age-related macular degeneration are the dry form. The wet form, however, usually leads to more serious vision loss. In fact, the wet form is responsible for 90% of severe vision loss. The dry (atrophic) form involves a gradual blurring of your central vision. The wet (exudative or neovascular) form involves newly created abnormal blood vessels growing under the center of your macula.

Macular degeneration usually progresses painlessly and gradually. The effects of the wet form include:

§ A loss or decrease in your central vision
§ A central blurry spot
§ Visual distortions like straight lines appearing crooked or wavy, or objects appearing farther away or smaller than they should.

Effects of dry macular degeneration include:

Increasing blurriness of printed words
Difficulty recognizing faces
A need for increasingly bright light when you are doing close work or reading
A decrease in the intensity or brightness of colors
Increasing difficulty adapting to low levels of light
A gradual increase in the haziness of your overall vision
A blind or blurred spot in the center of your visual field combined with a large
drop in your visual acuity.

With either form of macular degeneration, one eye may see well for years while the other deteriorates. You may not notice much of a change because your good eye will compensate for the problem one.

Your lifestyle and vision are changed greatly when both of your eyes are affected. Some people experience hallucinations with macular degeneration.

You or a loved one may be disabled and in need of financial assistance because of the disability caused by macular degeneration. Have you applied and been denied by the Social Security Administration when you applied for Social Security disability benefits or disability benefits?

If you decide to appeal the denial by the Social Security Administration, always remember. People who are represented by a caring disability attorney like the one you will find at disabilitycasereview.com are approved more often than those without a lawyer.

Do not wait. Contact the confident disability attorney at disabilitycasereview.com, today.

Tags: Macular Degeneration, social security administration, Social Security Disability, social security disability attorney
Posted in Special Senses and Speech | No Comments »

Graves’ Disease and Receiving Social Security Disability

Tuesday, July 14th, 2009

Have you ever heard of Graves’ disease? It is the most common form of hyperthyroidism. In fact, Graves’ disease is responsible for 50 to 60% of the 500,000 people a year who are diagnosed with hyperthyroidism in the United States.

Graves’ disease can occur at any age to either men or women. However, it is far more common with women than men, usually beginning after the age of 20.

Graves’ disease is a type of autoimmune disease that causes your thyroid gland to produce too much of the hormone thyroxine. An autoimmune disease is one in which your body’s immune system mistakenly attacks your own body. In the case of Graves’ disease, your immune system produces antibodies that stimulate your thyroid to produce too much thyroxine.

There are many ways in which Graves’ disease may affect you. Sometimes you can have this disorder without any signs or symptoms. These effects can occur slowly or come on suddenly. They are sometimes confused with other medical conditions. Some of the most common effects of Graves’ disease are:

Unintended weight loss
Frequent bowel movements
Trouble getting pregnant
Lighter menstrual flow
Muscular weakness
Hand tremors
Fatigue and weakness
Trouble sleeping
Irritability
Sensitivity to heat
Rapid heartbeat
Changes in how your eyes look or your vision.

Graves’ disease is the only type of hyperthyroidism that is associated with bulging of your eyes and the tissue around your eyes swelling. In rare cases, you may develop a reddish lumpy thickening of the skin in front of your shins called pretibial myxedema. This condition is usually painless.

Graves’ disease and/or complications resulting from it may be why you or your loved one is not able to work. It may be the cause of your disability.

If this is the case, you or your loved one may need help. You may need financial assistance.

Have you or your loved one thought about applying for Social Security disability benefits or disability benefits from the Social Security Administration because of the disability caused by Graves’ disease? Have you or your loved one already done this and been denied by the Social Security Administration?

You may be wondering what to do next? What options do you have? Do you have any recourse?

One step that you or your loved one can take is to appeal the denial by the Social Security Administration. If you decide to do this, here is something that you need to keep in mind.

You or your loved one is going to need the help and assistance of a diligent disability lawyer like the one you will find at disabilitycasereview.com in what can be a long and arduous process. The reason this is true is because people who are represented by a dependable disability attorney are approved more often than those people who are without a lawyer.

Do not hesitate. Contact the accomplished disability attorney at disabilitycasereview.com, today.

Tags: Disability Attorney, Graves' Disease, Social Security Disability, Social Security Disability Benefits
Posted in Endocrine | No Comments »

Heart Attack and Receiving Social Security Disability

Monday, July 13th, 2009

Approximately 1 million people in the United States have a heart attack each year. Around 400,000 of these people die as a result of their heart attack. This means that about 60% of these people survive their heart attack.

A heart attack is also known as myocardial infarction (MI), coronary thrombosis or coronary occlusion. A heart attack is when the blood supply to part of your heart muscle, the myocardium, is severely reduced or stopped.

This takes place when one or more of your coronary arteries is blocked that supply blood to your heart muscle. Muscle cells can suffer permanent injury and die if the blood supply is cut off for more than a few minutes. This can kill or disable you depending on the extent that your heart muscle is damaged.

There are signs and symptoms that you need to know and be aware of that can signal an approaching heart attack. Some of these are:

 Shortness of breath
 Fainting
 Sweating
 Vomiting or nausea
 Increasing episodes of chest pain
 Fullness, pressure or a squeezing pain in the center of your chest that lasts for more than a few minutes
 Pain that goes beyond your chest, to your arm, shoulder, back, jaw or teeth
 Impending sense of doom
 Prolonged pain in your upper abdomen.

The signs and symptoms in women may be less noticeable or different than those in men. Some of these are:

 Clammy skin
 Unusual or unexplained fatigue
 Abdominal pain or “heartburn”
 Dizziness or lightheadedness.

It is important to remember that people do not experience the same signs and symptoms or degree of symptoms when having a heart attack. A heart attack may not be as dramatic as the ones you see in the movies or on TV. Some people have no symptoms or signs at all, but the more symptoms you have, the more likely it is that you are having a heart attack.

You or a loved one may be a heart attack survivor. However, complications resulting from your heart attack or along with it may have resulted in you or your loved one’s disability.
Do you or your loved one need assistance? Are you in need of financial help?
Have you or your loved one applied for Social Security disability benefits or disability benefits from the Social Security Administration because of the disability caused by complications resulting from or along with a heart attack? Were you or your loved one denied?

If you or your loved one decides to appeal the denial by the Social Security Administration, consider this. People who are represented by an experienced disability attorney like the one you will find at disabilitycasereview.com are approved more often than people who are not represented by a lawyer.

Do not delay. This may affect you or your loved one for the rest of their life. Contact the knowledgeable disability attorney at disabilitycasereview.com, today.

Tags: Heart Attack, Social Security Disability, Social Security Disabiltiy Benefits
Posted in Cardiovascular | No Comments »

High Blood Pressure and Receiving Social Security Disability

Friday, July 10th, 2009

How big and widespread a problem is high blood pressure? It is now estimated that almost one in every three adult Americans has high blood pressure. Because high blood pressure has no signs or symptoms, it is also estimated that about one-third of the people with high blood pressure do not know that they have it.

What is high blood pressure? Blood is carried from your heart to all parts of your body through your arteries. Blood pressure is the force of the blood as it pushes against the walls of your arteries. Each time your heart beats (about 60-70 times a minute at rest), it pumps out blood into your arteries.

Your blood pressure is at its highest when your heart beats, pumping the blood. This is called systolic pressure. When your heart is at rest, between beats, your blood pressure falls. This is the diastolic pressure. Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury.

Your blood pressure is considered to be normal if it is below 120/80. Usually, the lower it is, the better it is. However, extremely low blood pressure can also cause problems that need to be checked out by your doctor.

High blood pressure is when your blood pressure is 140/90 or higher. If only one of these numbers is at this level, you are still considered to have high blood pressure. If your blood pressure is between 120 and 139 for the systolic, or between 80 and 89 for the diastolic, you are considered to be prehypertension.

As mentioned earlier, high blood pressure usually does not have any signs or symptoms. A few people in the early stages of high blood pressure may have dizzy spells, nosebleeds or dull headaches. Most of the time, however, these signs and symptoms do not show up until high blood pressure has reached an advanced, possibly life-threatening stage.

You or a loved one may have high blood pressure. Complications arising from or in conjunction with your high blood pressure may be the cause of you or your loved one’s disability.

As a result, you or your loved one may need help. You may need financial assistance.

Have you or your loved one applied for Social Security disability benefits or disability benefits from the Social Security Administration because of the disability caused by high blood pressure and complications arising from or in conjunction with it. Were you or your love one denied?

If you or your loved one is thinking about appealing the denial by the Social Security Administration, you will need a smart disability lawyer like the one you will find at disabilitycasereview.com to assist and aid you in what can be a long and trying process. This is true because people who are represented by a skilled disability attorney are approved more often than those people who do not have a lawyer.

Do not delay. Do not put this off. Contact the wise disability attorney at disabilitycasereview.com, today.

Tags: Disability Attorney, disability lawyer, high blood pressure, Social Security Disabiltity
Posted in Cardiovascular | No Comments »

Bipolar Disorder and Receiving Social Security Disability

Wednesday, July 1st, 2009

If you or a loved one is bipolar, it may have reached a point where it is debilitating. Bipolar disorder may be the cause of you or your loved one’s disability.

Do you or your loved one need help because of your disability? Do you need financial help?

Have you or your loved one applied for Social Security disability benefits or disability benefits from the Social Security Administration because of the disability caused by bipolar disorder? Were you or your loved one denied?

You or your loved one may be thinking about appealing the denial by the Social Security Administration. If this is what you decide to do, here is something to think about.

You or your loved one will need a reputable disability lawyer like the one you will find at disabilitycasereview.com to counsel and advise you in what can be a long and trying process. The reason for this being true is because people who are aided and represented by a reliable disability attorney are approved more often than those people who do not have a lawyer.

What is bipolar disorder? Bipolar disorder is not a single disorder, but a category of mood disorders characterized by the presence of one or more episodes of abnormally heightened mood, clinically referred to mania.

People who have manic episodes also usually experience depressive episodes or symptoms, or mixed episodes which have features of both mania and depression. These episodes are normally separated by periods of normal mood, but in some patients, depression and mania may rapidly alternate. This is known as rapid cycling.

Bipolar disorder used to be called manic-depressive illness. Bipolar disorder is considered to be a more neutral term. This is to avoid the stigma of combining “manic” and “depression” by the general population. Bipolar disorder has also been known as bipolar affective disorder.

Bipolar disorder has been subdivided into bipolar I, bipolar II and cyclothymia. These classifications are based on the type and severity of mood episodes the person experiences

The signs and symptoms of bipolar disorder are distinguished by alternating periods of mania (highs) and depression (lows). Some of the effects the mania phase of the disorder may have on you are:

Poor judgment
Trouble sleeping
Feelings of euphoria, inflated self-esteem and extreme optimism
Racing thoughts, rapid speech, agitation and increased physical activity
Tendency to be easily distracted
Taking chances normally not taken or recklessness
Aggressive behavior
Inability to concentrate.

Effects caused by the depression phase are:

Problems concentrating
Irritability
Disturbances in appetite and sleep
Persistent feelings of sadness, guilt, hopelessness and anxiety
Fatigue and loss of interest in daily activities
Chronic pain without a known cause
Recurring thoughts of suicide.

Tags: bipolar disorder, Social Security Disability, social security disability attorney
Posted in Mental Disorders | No Comments »

Cardiomyopathy and Receiving Social Security Disability Benefits

Monday, June 22nd, 2009

Cardiomyopathy literally means “heart muscle disease”. Cardiomyopathy is the deterioration of the function of your actual heart muscle (myocardium). This medical condition impairs your heart’s ability to pump blood.

There are three major types of cardiomyopathy:

§ Dilated cardiomyopathy is when your heart’s main pumping chamber becomes dilated (enlarged), and its pumping ability becomes impaired. It is the first and most common form of cardiomyopathy.

§ Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is where there is abnormal growth or thickening of your heart muscle. In particular, it affects the muscle of your left ventricle. This causes your heart to stiffen, and the size of your pumping chamber may shrink interfering with your heart’s ability to pump blood.

§ Restrictive cardiomyopathy is when your heart muscle becomes rigid and less elastic. This interferes with the filling and expansion of your heart’s ventricles with blood between contractions or heartbeats.

Some people do not experience any effects in the early stages of cardiomyopathy. Signs and symptoms do usually appear as cardiomyopathy progresses. When cardiomyopathy does affect you, the signs and symptoms are like those of congestive heart failure. Some of these are:

§ Irregular heart rhythm

§ Distention of your abdomen with fluid

§ Breathlessness with exertion or even during rest

§ Dizziness, fainting and lightheadedness

§ Fatigue

§ Swelling of your lower extremities.

These effects produced by cardiomyopathy usually grow worse with time. For some people this deterioration accelerates rapidly, while others reach a plateau and stabilize for a long time. For some people with dilated cardiomyopathy, the disorder may actually get better.

Obviously, the effects caused by cardiomyopathy can reach a point where you are unable to work. Cardiomyopathy may be the cause of you or your loved one’s disability.

If this is true, you or your loved one may need help. You may need financial assistance.

Who will you turn to for this financial help? Where will it come from? Who can you look to?

Have you or your loved one considered applying for Social Security disability benefits or disability benefits from the Social Security Administration because of the disability caused by cardiomyopathy? Have you or your loved one already done this and been denied by the Social Security Administration?

You may be wondering what to do next? Do you have any recourse? What options are open to you?

One step that you or your loved one can take is to appeal the denial by the Social Security Administration. If you decide to do this, here is something important for you to think about.

You or your loved one is going to need a qualified disability lawyer like the one you will find at disabilitycasereview.com to represent you in what can prove to be a long and exasperating process. This is true because people who have a proven disability attorney on their side are approved more often than those people who do not have a lawyer.

Do not delay. Contact the reliable disability attorney at disabilitycasereview.com, today.

Tags: cardiomyopathy, Disability Attorney, Social Security Disability
Posted in Cardiovascular | No Comments »

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Author Archive

19 Years Under The Americans With Disabilities Act