What happens when you become disabled and unable to work and make a living? You may see your financial future crashing before your very eyes yet are unsure what you need to do. Perhaps you have already filed for Social Security Disability benefits or are thinking about filing. It is extremely important that your initial application is complete and accurately tells your story.
While it is important that your disability is found in SSD’s online list of disabilities, it is equally important that you convey all the ways your disability has affected your day-to-day living as well as your work tasks. Having a Greensboro disability lawyer from the Carmichael Law Group can help you get through the process in the best way possible, with the best outcome possible.
Information on this page:
What Are the Qualifying Conditions for Social Security Disability Benefits?
Your medical condition may qualify under the Compassionate Allowances program, which identifies particularly severe disorders so the application can be fast-tracked. These medical conditions can include specific cancers, adult brain disorders, and rare childhood disorders. Those who are identified under the Compassionate Allowances program must still qualify under other rules for disability. This means your financial resources and income must fall under the limits, and you must have worked a specific amount of time in a job where you paid SS taxes on your wages.
If you do not qualify under the Compassionate Allowances program, your condition or disorder must have lasted at least 12 months, is expected to last at least 12 months, or is expected to result in death. You can find a list of qualifying disorders online. The list is split into adult and child categories. Under the adult category, there are fourteen different types of disorders. As an example, one category is Respiratory Illnesses, which is further split into asthma, COPD, and cystic fibrosis. If your disability doesn’t seem to fall under one of the listed categories, talk to your Greensboro disability attorney who can help you qualify for SSD benefits.
What Is the Process for Obtaining Social Security Disability Benefits?
One of the easiest ways to file for SSD benefits is online, but you can also apply in person—at your local SS field office—or over the phone. You will have to provide information and documents so that your application is complete, giving you the best chance of a favorable outcome. It is helpful to take a look at the Adult Disability Checklist to ensure you have all the documentation and information you need.
You will either be approved or denied benefits and will be notified of this decision through the mail. If your application for benefits is denied, you have sixty days from the date of that denial to appeal the decision. You have four opportunities to appeal an adverse decision, and you should definitely appeal. If you choose to appeal your decision, it can be extremely beneficial to speak to a Greensboro disability lawyer from the Carmichael Law Group. Your chances of a positive outcome increase exponentially when you have this level of assistance.
How Many Levels of Appeal Are There in the Social Security Disability Process?
As noted above, there are four levels of appeal following an SSD benefits denial letter. Once you receive a denial letter you have 60 days in which to request a Reconsideration. The same office that denied your first application will determine your Reconsideration, so the approval percentage is fairly low. In some cases, however, you may just need to submit additional documentation for your Reconsideration to result in an approval. If your Reconsideration receives a denial of benefits you will move to the hearing with an Administrative Law Judge.
You have 60 days from the time you receive your Reconsideration denial to file a request for a hearing in front of an Administrative Law Judge. You may have to wait as long as nine months for your hearing. If you are denied benefits at your ALJ hearing, you have two more appeals—the Appeals Council Review and the Federal Review. All of these appeals can benefit greatly from an attorney from the Carmichael Law Group.
Can I Receive Social Security Disability for a Mental Disability?
You can definitely receive SSD benefits for a mental disability. Under the online listings, there are 11 categories of mental disabilities, including:
- Schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders
- Neurocognitive disorders
- Depressive and bipolar disorders
- Intellectual disorders
- Anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders
- Personality and impulse-control disorders
- Autism spectrum disorders
- Somatic symptoms and related disorders
- Neurodevelopmental disorders
- Eating disorders
- Trauma and stressor-related disorders.
Your mental illness must match or come close to one of these listings and must be so severe that it prevents you from working full time.
How a Greensboro Disability Lawyer from the Carmichael Law Group Can Help
At Carmichael Law Group we help clients nationwide. If you have a medical condition that prevents you from working and making a living, you are entitled to receive SSD benefits. You pay us nothing unless you are approved for your SSD benefits, and we will fight hard for your right to receive the benefits you deserve. Whether you are in the initial application stage or have been denied benefits and are in the appeal stage, we have the experience, skills, and knowledge to help you receive your disability benefits.
Greensboro Social Security Field Office
The Greensboro North Carolina Social Security Field Office located at 6005 Landmark Center Blvd., Greensboro, NC 27407 provides services to the disabled living in Guilford and Alamance Counties. The direct telephone number for the Greensboro Field Office is 1-877-319-3075 and the direct fax number is 1-833-950-2546.
