Applying for social security disability benefits is a complicated and lengthy process. Small mistakes in your application can cause it to be rejected. This would move you into the appeals process, which is even more challenging. Make sure your application has the best chance of being accepted the first time with these tips.

Get Help From the Very Start

The moment you decide to file for disability benefits, engage a social security lawyer, such as Prediletto, Halpin, Scharnikow & Nelson, P.S., to help. They are familiar with the most common reasons that claims are denied. As you complete the application, your lawyer will make sure that you're submitting the right amount of information, in a way that the Social Security Administration prefers.

Make Sure You Don't Overstate Your Income

Your lawyer will help you to understand which income sources to include and which ones to leave out. If your income is too high on the application, the reviewers may deny your claim without looking at other parts of the application. While you don't want to leave out income from the application, you don't want to include unnecessary money, such as gifts from friends and family.

Make It Clear That Your Disability Will Last for Several Months

If you or any of the health care providers writing reports for you indicate that you'll be able to go back to work in less than one year, your application will be denied. A requirement for social security disability benefits is that the medical condition prevents you from working for a year or longer. How the medical professionals word their reports is important. Should they state that a particular treatment you are undergoing may allow you to return to work in less than a year, your claim could be rejected. Your lawyer will make sure that any supporting documentation submitted with your application indicates that you'll be disabled for a year or longer.

Don't Leave Out Relevant Medical Information

Consider a scenario where you were in a car accident that has disabled you. On your application for benefits, you failed to include visits to a doctor for allergies. The doctor gave you prescriptions for antihistamines, which could make you drowsy. The social security reviewers might look at this as an intentional omission of medical information relevant to your claim. The medication may have affected your driving ability and been responsible for the accident. Review all of your past medical treatments with your lawyer to understand which ones you need to include.

Make It Clear That You've Complied With All Treatment Recommendations

Your application could be rejected if it appears that you resisted accepting treatment recommended by your doctors. You may not have followed up with suggested treatments because of the cost, a lack of transportation to the treatment center, or other valid reasons. Your lawyer will help you document these choices in your application so it is clear that following up on those treatment options would've been a burden.