How to Apply for Disability Benefits (SSDI) in Pennsylvania

If you need to apply for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits in Pennsylvania, our lawyers can help you submit a thorough application to the Social Security Administration (SSA).

Before starting your SSDI application, our lawyers will review your work history. This impacts eligibility, as you cannot get SSDI without enough work credits. We will then compare your diagnosed condition with the SSA’s listing of impairments. When filling out the application, claimants must provide detailed information about their employment history, wages, dependents, and conditions. An interview may follow your application submission. During an interview, an SSA agent may ask in-depth questions about your situation to gauge your eligibility. You should get your first SSDI check six months after your disability began. If you applied for SSDI and the SSA denied your claim, our attorneys can help you pursue an appeal in Pennsylvania.

For help with your case, call the Pennsylvania disability lawyers of Young, Marr, Mallis & Associates now at (215) 515-2954.

What to Do Before Applying for SSDI in Pennsylvania

Before applying for SSDI benefits, our attorneys will review your work history and medical condition to confirm your eligibility. These are the two factors that matter most when determining SSDI eligibility, so ensuring you meet these basic qualifications before applying is crucial.

Go Over Your Work History

It’s helpful to think of SSDI and other similar Social Security programs as insurance plans. Instead of purchasing an insurance plan, however, you pay into it each time your employer removes taxes for Social Security from your paychecks. The more taxes removed over the years, the more you pay into the system. This translates into work credits, which affect SSDI eligibility.

Workers in Pennsylvania and elsewhere can earn up to four work credits per year. You can earn one work credit for each $1,730 in wages you earn. For some, earning four work credits might take an entire year. For others, they might earn their annual credits fairly quickly. Regardless, you can only earn four work credits per year, no matter your income. This means that anyone who earns $6,920 in a year will get four work credits.

If you do not have enough work credits yourself, you could get SSDI through your parent’s work history, provided you meet the definition of a disabled adult child. Your work history determines your eligibility for SSDI, and your average earnings over your working years determine your SSDI benefit amount.

Check the SSA’s Blue Book

The Social Security Administration’s Blue Book sets the listing of impairments that qualify adults for SSDI. If you have a disabled child and need financial support, you can check the SSA’s listing of impairments for children to see if you qualify for other Social Security benefits, like Supplemental Security Income.

There are 14 categories of impairments that qualify for SSDI. These include musculoskeletal, respiratory, digestive, hematological, skin, endocrine, neurological, mental, and immune system disorders, among others. Depending on your specific condition, we will look closely at the SSA’s definitions and evaluation measures to see if you qualify.

For example, if you have a hematological disorder, the SSA may require a laboratory report that proves a hematological disorder. Furthermore, if you have repeated complications from the disorder, SSA might require evidence showing that your daily living and social functioning are seriously limited.

Comparing your condition to the SSA’s listing of impairments is essential before applying for SSDI. Even if your condition does not exactly match one of those provided by the SSA, you could get SSDI if it is close enough.

How to Fill Out an Application for SSDI Benefits in Pennsylvania

The Social Security Disability Insurance application is relatively long and requires considerable information from applicants. Our lawyers can prepare the necessary information beforehand, so filling out the application is simple.

Page 1

The first page of the application concerns your personal information, such as your name, Social Security number, and citizenship status. Here, you will provide your date of birth, where you were born, and any other names or Social Security numbers you have used. You must also note when your condition became so severe that you stopped being able to work in Pennsylvania.

Page 2

The second page concerns your family and their details. For example, you must give information about current or previous marriages. You may have to give your spouse’s Social Security number and other details. If you need to provide more context to your current or previous marriage, you can do so on page five of the application.

Page 3

On the third page, you will give information about employers from recent years. Whether you were self-employed or employed by a company in Pennsylvania, you must provide the SSA with your recent earnings. You will also note if your injury, illness, or condition was related to your occupation in any way. You will also enter the exact date you become unable to work on page three.

Page 4

Next, applicants must note if they have filed or plan to file for any other disability benefits, such as Workers’ Compensation. If you got any money or compensation from your employer related to your condition, include those amounts in your application. If you had dependent children under three or a dependent parent when diagnosed with your condition, tell the SSA.

If you qualify for SSDI as a disabled adult child, you can check that off on page four of your application.

Page 5

Page five is mostly for remarks. This is where applicants and our Pennsylvania disability lawyers can input additional information and give context to an application.

You will then sign the application on page five and give your direct deposit payment information. While you can get SSDI checks through the mail in Pennsylvania, choosing that option might result in delays and other issues from time to time. If you opt for direct deposit, you will get your SSDI benefit at midnight on your monthly payment date.

Page 6

The sixth page of the application is for applicants’ information and explains how the SSA will use an applicant’s information and protect their privacy.

Page 7

The final page is a receipt for your claim. The SSA will return this page to you after you submit your application. This form will give you information about your claim, such as the SSA agent to contact regarding it, the date of receipt, and the Social Security claim number.

How to Send an SSDI Application to the Social Security Administration

There are several ways to send an SSDI application to the Social Security Administration. The most popular method is applying online.

The SSA has an online portal for SSDI applicants to complete and submit applications. When you apply online, the website stores your information, making it easier to return and to the document and add information. Once your application is complete, we can send it to the SSA electronically. This can also make tracking SSDI applications after submission easier.

There are other submission methods, too. For example, claimants can schedule appointments with SSA agents to complete and submit applications. In-person appointments might take more time than online submissions. The SSA also lets claimants in Pennsylvania apply for SSDI benefits over the phone.

You can sign into your SSA account to check your application status anytime.

What to Know About SSDI Application Interview Questions

The SSA sometimes requires interviews alongside SSDI applications. Our Pennsylvania disability lawyers can prepare you for possible interview questions so you know what to expect and how to answer them.

Some of the questions an SSA agent asks you might seem fairly repetitive. For example, despite you giving the SSA access to your medical records, an agent may question you about your condition and how it limits you. They may ask about your treatment thus far and your prognosis.

The SSA agent may also ask questions about your employment history to confirm the information you gave on your application. Remember, employment history heavily factors into SSDI eligibility and your ultimate benefit amount, which is why the SSA might harp on this subject during an interview.

The SSA agent might get personal, asking questions about your family and dependents. Answering the agent’s questions honestly and thoroughly is important. If you contradict yourself during an interview, the SSA might turn around and deny your claim. This is why preparing for the interview is crucial. In addition to prepping for commonly asked questions, our lawyers can make sure you bring the necessary materials to your SSDI interview, such as your medical records, ID, birth certificate, and a list of your medications.

What Happens After You Apply for Disability Benefits in Pennsylvania?

Suppose you send in your SSDI application, complete interviews with SSA agents, and your claim gets approved. Unfortunately, the next step is waiting.

The SSA takes time to approve claims in Pennsylvania, sometimes many months. After the SSA approves your claim, you may have to go through another waiting period. Payments only start in the sixth month of disability. The five months between when your disability begins and when you get your first check is a mandatory waiting period for most claimants, except those with certain conditions like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, more commonly known as ALS.

During this time, the SSA might monitor your condition to ensure you qualify for benefits. This can be difficult for applicants, as they might be without supplemental income. Be mindful of substantial gainful activity limits during this time. Earning income during the waiting period could negatively impact your eligibility, even if your claim has been approved.

You will get your first SSDI check the sixth month you are disabled, provided you get through the five-month waiting period without any issues. The reason for this is that the SSA gives checks a month late, so to speak. So, you will get your January benefit in February, and so on.

Tell our lawyers if it has been several months since your application was approved and you still have not received an SSDI payment from the SSA. We can contact the SSA and alert it of the error. If there is an issue with your case, we can address it promptly so you can get the payments you deserve in Pennsylvania.

Your birth date will determine the exact date you receive your monthly check. Social Security Disability Insurance checks are sent out on the second, third, and fourth Wednesdays of each month.

Can You Get Your SSDI Application Appealed in Pennsylvania?

Unfortunately, slight mistakes or errors in an application might lead to a claim denial in Pennsylvania. Should that happen to you, our attorneys can help you pursue an appeal.

We can start by requesting a reconsideration from the Social Security Administration. To kick start the appeals process, you must request one within 60 days of your initial denial. If you miss the deadline, you might have to start the application process all over again, further delaying your access to benefits.

Generally, claim denials happen because of a lack of medical evidence. We can help gather and organize your records to submit during a reconsideration. If the SSA rejects your claim again, you can appeal it again. Claimants have four chances to appeal the SSA’s decision in Pennsylvania.

Don’t be discouraged if your initial application gets denied. The application process itself is fairly complicated, and the SSA might look for any reason to deny your claim. Often, by returning to the initial application and reviewing the reason for the initial denial, claimants can find success with appeals in Pennsylvania.

Call Our Lawyers in Pennsylvania for Help with Your SSDI Application

Call Young, Marr, Mallis & Associates at (215) 515-2954 for a free case assessment from our Pennsylvania disability lawyers.