When to Apply for SSDI or SSI Benefits
For the purposes of receiving Social Security disability benefits (SSD or SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI), the applicant must prove that he or she has a disability.
Under the law, a disability is any medical condition that prevents you from maintaining substantial gainful activity due to a medically determinable physical or mental impairment. The condition must last for a continuous period of 12 months or result in death.
Even though the law states that the disabling medical condition must last for a continuous period of 12 months, filing for Social Security disability benefits (SSDI or SSI) should happen as soon as you become disabled. The sooner you file, the more financially secure you will be. This is because SSDI and SSI benefits are paid as of the date of your application. The filing process for Social Security disability benefits can take a long time, and if an appeal is necessary the process will end up taking even longer.
Another reason for filing an early application for Social Security disability benefits is to give yourself time to prepare your application with the help of experienced Social Security disability lawyers.
Jan Dils, Attorneys at Law
Offices in Parkersburg, Charleston, Logan, Huntington and Beckley, West Virginia - and Charlotte, NC and Pittsburgh, PA.
866.293.8442 | E-Mail
At the law firm of Jan Dils, Attorneys at Law, we have extensive experience guiding our clients through the process of filing for Social Security disability benefits, including SSD and SSI. With our help from the beginning of your case, you may have a better chance of getting an early — and positive decision — on your application for disability benefits.
Over the decades, our lawyers and staff have helped thousands of people with successful SSDI and SSI applications. We have recovered more than $100 million on behalf of our disabled clients.
Our attorneys will gather all necessary medical and financial records on your behalf in an effort to help you complete the original application in a way that maximizes your chance for early success. In the event that an appeal becomes necessary, we will file all the necessary paperwork and be at your side during the hearing before an administrative law judge.
Information You Will Need When Filing for Social Security Disability Benefits
When you are ready to apply for Social Security disability insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI), make sure you have the following information available:
- 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 the dates of your visits
- Name and the reason prescribed of all the medications you take, including the name of the doctor who prescribes them
- Medical records from your doctors, therapists, hospitals, clinics and caseworkers that you already have in your possession
- A summary of where you have worked and the kind of work you have done
- A copy of your most recent W-2 tax form
No Lawyers' Fees Unless You Win Your SSDI/SSI Case
According to law, our law firm may not collect attorneys' fees from our clients unless and until their case is successful. Even then, our lawyers' fees are capped at no more than $6,000 of the total amount of back benefits paid to our clients.
Get started on your SSDI/SSI application today. To get help from our office, call toll free, 866.293.8442. Or, send us an e-mail for a prompt response.
Additional general information about SSDI and SSI benefits is available on the following pages of this Web site:
