Reasons you might be denied SSDI benefits
For those Denver residents applying for Social Security Disability benefits, the focus tends to rightly be about their qualifying condition and the application process. Let’s shift that focus for a few minutes to reasons why a SSDI claim might be denied.
After all, the Social Security Administration (SSA) rejects about two-thirds of initial claims and about half of the applicants who appeal the denial. So it’s important to understand why a claim might be denied.
The main reason why disability claims are rejected is because the applicant fails to prove that they are disabled and prevented by disability from working.
A syndicated columnist and NBC Today contributor writing for the Huffington Post says the first thing for applicants to do is “get informed.”
He notes that a couple groups of people who will see their benefits claims denied are those who work part-time (“there is no such thing as a partial disability benefit”) and those who are currently working but plan to quit their jobs if their SSDI claim is approved. If you can work while waiting to hear from the SSA, the federal agency will likely determine that you’re not disabled.
You might also be denied benefits if your work history indicates that you are qualified to do less physically demanding work, if your medical condition allows to you do those tasks.
As an example, let’s say you were a roofer in the residential construction business. Over the years, chronic back pain has developed and you find you are unable to continue roofing. The SSA might examine your initial application and determine that yes, you can no longer do roofing, but that you are fit to do light manufacturing work that puts less strain on your back.
If that assessment is inaccurate, you might well decide to file an appeal with the assistance of an experienced Denver Social Security Disability attorney. An experienced attorney understands the types of medical evidence needed to support claims, and which experts might be required to make an applicant’s real condition clear to the administrative judge who will rule on an appeal.
