HOW TO PREPARE TO FILE AN SSDI APPLICATION

There are certain things you need in order to file a complete, proper application for Social Security disability.  It's best to gather these items before you begin the long application process, whether you plan to file online or at the Social Security office.

Here are the essentials that you will need:

PERSONAL INFORMATION

•  Name, address, phone no., date and place of birth, SSN
•  Name, address, phone of another contact who knows you
•  Spouse's name, DOB, SSN, date/place of marriage
• Same information for any previous marriage lasting 10 years or longer
• Date and place of divorce, if any, for any marriage lasting 10 years or longer.

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY FOR 15 YEARS 

• Name, address, phone for each former employer
• Dates you worked for each employer
• Your job title (type of work) for each employer 

MEDICAL INFORMATION 

•  Name, full address, phone for each doctor, clinic, emergency room, hospital, counselor, etc. going back at least 2 years
• First date, last date you saw each provider (approximate)
• Name of each medical impairment
• List of medications you now take--dosage, name of doctor, what each medication is for
• Side effects of your medications, if any

One of the biggest mistakes is not to list every doctor or medical provider, or to fail to list the provider's full mailing address and contact information.  It isn't enough to say, "Dr. Bailey, Hometown, Alabama."  Give the street name and zip code, too.  Example:  Dr. William Q. Bailey, 1234 N. Oak Street, Hometown, AL 55500.  (You'd be surprised how many Dr. Baileys there are in many larger towns).

Social Security orders only the records you tell them about, and always by mail.  If they have a bad or incomplete address, your records will not arrive and your decision will be based on incomplete information. This may delay benefits by 2 years while you appeal.  I've found that there is a limited amount of time Social Security will spend trying to locate doctor's for whom they have no address.  By helping them find your doctor, you help yourself and your claim.

Another important note:  Once you have filed your application, you still aren't finished.  In about 10 days you will receive a large packet of forms in a manila envelope in the US Mail.  At a minimum, this envelope will include:

1)  A Function Report, and
2)  Work History Report

Both of these must be completed and returned within 10 days.  These forms are often ignored or completed partially, which always hurts your odds of approval.  

If you experience difficulty with these forms, ask a relative, friend or someone else you trust to sit down with you and help you complete them.

A well completed application package follows you into any future appeals that you file.  It can serve you well, or not so well, for months or years to come--as you struggle through the disability application process.  It's a lot of work, and a big investment of your time.