Los Angeles is a fast-paced and vibrant city. Disability insurance policies are often not considered a necessity by people, unless it is already too late. When we are young, disability is something that just does not feel real enough. It is something we never thought would happen to us while we are still strong and gainfully employed. The facts, however, disagree with this kind of belief.

Studies show that 3 in 10 people have a chance of becoming disabled before they even reach their retirement age. Unless you have sufficient and reliable residual income, disability (whether it’s permanent or over a short period of time) is an area of concern that you should prepare for.

The Social Security Administration provides disability benefits for qualified members. The SSA has two programs that pay disability benefits. These are the Supplemental Security program and Social Security Disability Insurance program.

The main purpose of these programs is to pay benefits for people who are legally disabled or those that have a physical or mental condition that prevents them from working for at least one year, or that this condition may result to a member’s death. While some privately owned insurance companies may provide compensation for short-term disabilities, the disability benefits by the SSA do not.

When to apply and what requirements do you need?

Since the processing of disability benefits usually take between three to five months, it is usually advisable to apply for your benefits as soon as you become disabled. You may download the form online at the Social Security Administration website, and then submit it at your local SSA office.

Bringing along the complete set of required documents will save you time. Here is a list of information that the SSA will need to process your disability insurance benefit:

• Social Security number of the member

• Birth certificate

• Name and contact information (phone number, address) of the medical
professionals that worked with you and a list of the dates when you visited them
• List of medicines that you took

• Lab results

• Summary of your work history

• A copy of your recent W2 form (federal tax return if you are self-employed)

After filing your application for disability insurance, the SSA will review your case and check whether you have worked for enough number of years to qualify. There will also be an evaluation on your current work activity. When you pass this, the SSA will forward your case to the Disability Determination Services in your state to check whether your disability qualifies you for the benefit. Here are a few things that they will look at while reviewing your case:

• Are you currently employed

• Can your medical condition be considered as “severe”

• Is your medical condition included in the SSA’s List of Impairments (this is also on the SSA website)

• Can you perform the work that you used to be able to do?

• Given your present condition, are you still able to do other kinds of work?

There are also special rules that apply only to people who are blind, legally blind, or those who are not yet legally blind, but are unable to work when the condition is combined with other health problems.

After evaluating your case, the SSA will send you a notice through a letter. If your application has been declined, you may choose to have yourself represented by an attorney. There are many lawyers in Los Angeles that specialize in Disability Insurance disputes. It would be best to seek competent legal advice so that you can present your case properly during your appeal.

Our skilled Los Angeles disability insurance lawyers can help you pursue your disability insurance benefits. You can also avail of our free case evaluation by logging on to our website.