Do You Qualify for Social Security Disability Benefits in Maryland?
The process of applying and receiving disability benefits in Maryland can seem like an arduous process. Especially when you realize that there is only a 22-29% chance that individuals will be awarded in any given year. While this seems disheartening, in all actuality, the majority of people will need to file, not one, but two appeals. This will more than likely need to be heard before an administrative law judge. You must find out if you qualify for Social Security Disability Benefits in Maryland. The disability hearing is your best opportunity for winning benefits, so your case must be properly prepared.
Do You Qualify for Social Security Disability Benefits in Maryland?
If you feel you will be filing a disability claim anytime in the future, it is important to get organized and stay organized. The more information that is given to Social Security, the quicker the claim, potentially, will be processed. In many cases, organized notes and records may even increase the odds of qualifying and being awarded approval.
When assembling your medical history, it is important to gather, from the onset of the physical issue, the following information:
- The names and addresses if all medical facilities.
- Dates of treatment
- Diagnosis received
- Names of treating physicians
- Any and all medications prescribed and taken
- Vocational work history, including dates and employers
Try to take notes or keep a journal of dates and times you are on the phone with insurance companies and doctors. Jot down daily remarks about how you are feeling that day. It may seem like a lot of work, but a little work every day will save time and stress later when filing your claim. Gathering this data throughout the trauma of an injury and recovery will also help you recall your pain and symptoms so that you may truthfully testify at your hearing should it come to that point. And the odds are that you WILL appear at an appeals hearing.
Keeping detailed notes will also allow the disability examiner to establish the onset of the condition, and that helps with determining how much back pay a person may receive. You will need to provide any work history within the last 15 years to establish a relevant period. It will also define your past work, plus any mental or physical demands of the past work. This information may also impact the outcome of your claim.
Two Basic Qualifications for Disability
There are two basic qualifications in Maryland for disability benefits. First, you must prove the existence of severe medical impairment. Therefore, your medical evidence must show a definitive diagnosis, of a severe medical condition, and the steps taken to treat the condition. Secondly, you must then prove the condition is severe enough to last for one full year. Additionally, the condition must limit and restrict ADL’s ( Activities of Daily Living), concerning past work, current work, or future work. In addition, the hindered ability to engage in basic normal daily activities, like personal care and hygiene, can strengthen your case.
The Social Security Administration’s (SSA) examiner will review your medical records, and notes to create what the SSA refers to as a residual functional capacity rating. It is an assessment of what you can, and can no longer do, as a result of your condition. By making this comparison, a disability benefits adjudicator will determine if you can go back to your past work, or if you are capable of switching to another type of work.
When you need help navigating the complicated process of applying for Social Security Disability Benefits in the state of Maryland, please contact Disability Support Services. Our knowledgeable experts can explain and assist in your process from the planning, application, and appeals stages. We are here for you, contact us today!
