About Social Security Disability Benefits

Lakeland Disability Benefits Lawyer Dean Burnetti provides professional Social Security Disability Benefits Attorney legal services in Polk County, including: Lakeland, Auburndale, Bartow, Davenport, Dundee, Eagle Lake, Fort Meade, Frostproof, Haines City, Highland Park, Hillcrest Heights, Lake Alfred, Lake Hamilton, Lake Wales, Mulberry, Polk City, and Winter Haven; in Highlands County, including: Avon Park, Lake Placid, Lorida, Sebring, Venus, Placid Lake, and Sylvan Shores; and in Hardee County, including: Bowling Green, Ona, Wauchula, Zolfo Springs, Gardner, and Limestone; and all of the Greater Central Florida Area.

Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is a federal financial aid program.  Its purpose is to provide long-term financial to adults who have paid into the program through their previous employment.

Perhaps you’ve been victimized by a crippling illness or injury.  Or maybe your body works against you rather than with you.  Either way, you might be unable to hold down a fulltime job to support yourself and your family.  If your medical condition prevents you from earning a living, you may be considering applying for Social Security Disability benefits.

Social Security Disability is legal decision, not a medical decision. (This fact often baffles people because of the extensive legal mumbo-jumbo involved.) However, the physician who treats your condition and provides details about your medical status must be a credible medical professional.  They must also provide honest, detailed information about your condition and how it affects you. Once that information and other details are filed, the final decision is ultimately up to the Social Security Administration.

Perhaps your benefits stopped within the past five years because you were able to work?  Even so, if you meet certain requirements and still have your original medical condition, you may still qualify for benefits.   In this case, you won’t need to reapply.  A program called Expedited Reinstatement serves as a work incentive for already-approved Social Security Disability recipients.

Social Security Administration’s Periodic Case Reviews

After your application is approved, the Social Security Administration will periodically review your medical condition. The length of time between reviews depends on how likely your medical condition is to improve.

• When your condition is anticipated to improve, the first review will happen 18 months after you submit your initial application.
• If improvement is technically possible though your doctor doesn’t expect you to improve, medical reviews occur every 3 years.
• However, if your doctor states that it’s impossible for your condition to improve, it’s typically 7 years between each review.

Qualifying for Social Security Disability Benefits

The first step in qualifying for SSD benefits is to have a medical condition.  This condition must prevent you from earning your regular full-time income.  Additionally, your condition must then meet the Social Security Administration’s definition of a disability. Only applicants who suffer from severe, long-term, total disabilities are eligible for SSD benefits.

Next, SSD applicants must prove that they have a severe medical impairment.  To do so, that impairment must be documented by objective medical evidence.

After that, applicants must prove that their condition has limited their ability to perform the duties of their job.  Furthermore, they must show that these limitations make it impossible for them to return to work.  Additionally, they must prove that their impairment prohibits them from changing job types.  Finally, they must provide evidence that their disabling condition is expected to last for at least one year.

All told, having thoroughly detailed documentation of your disability will increase the likelihood that your application is approved.  The more thorough the information you provide, the better.

The Social Security Administration’s website provides a detailed list of what types of documentation they would like to see. It would definitely help your case if you gather as much of this information as possible before you submit your initial application.

If you’re disabled and need SSD benefits, you may benefit from the guidance of an experienced Social Security Disability lawyer.

Dean Burnetti Law Can Help...

No matter why you need Social Security Disability Benefits, the attorneys and staff at Dean Burnetti Law are familiar with the application and appeal process and are eager to navigate the governmental system for you.  Call Dean Burnetti Law at 863-287-6388 or 813-287-6388 today to schedule your free and confidential consultation.

The attorneys and staff at Dean Burnetti Law are familiar with every aspect of the Social Security Disability Application and Appeals process. Our team is highly qualified and waiting to serve you.