Filing a successful disability claim is not simple. The Social Security Administration (SSA) is quite strict concerning how it defines a disability. It also will take a long time to examine each case and determine if an applicant properly qualifies for benefits. This leads to a high level of rejections, and those who are seeking benefits may need to file an appeal.
One reason for these rejections is simply that there is not enough medical evidence to support a person’s claim. They may state that they have a disability that will keep them out of work, but the SSA may not believe the evidence shows that they can’t continue to be employed. Additionally, the SSA requires that a disability last for 12 months or more in order to qualify. The agency may agree that the person has a disability at the moment, but it won’t qualify as a disability to the SSA if it’s not going to last that long. Again, the SSA may claim that there’s just not enough medical evidence to show the longevity of the disability.
Does this mean you don’t have a case?
If you find yourself in this position, you may be very frustrated. You know that you have a disability and you know how it has impacted your life. You’re not trying to defraud the system. You simply want to get the benefits that you need at this time, and you know that they should be available to you. If you assume that a rejection means you don’t have a case, it could be hard to understand why the SSA views your situation so differently than you do.
But the truth may be that the problem isn’t with your condition at all. It may just be an insufficient evidence issue. Many times, claims will be rejected for a lack of evidence, but that can be rectified and the claim can go through in an appeal. Remember that the SSA doesn’t know what you’ve been going through, and it requires extensive documentation to understand your case. Providing this can get the agency to reconsider its decision.
Seeking benefits is very important and can be quite complicated. Be sure you understand exactly what legal steps to take and all the options that you have the work through this process. Seeking legal guidance is a good place to start.