If you live in the state of New Jersey and are considering submitting an application to receive Social Security Disability benefits, there are a few things you may want to keep in mind. While the majority of states have the same rules and regulations which pertain to Social Security, it is not a federal matter and some issues can be different from state to state. Due to this fact, it is a good idea to seek representation from your area. An attorney who is local to the place where you live can give you advice that you can depend on to be factual and significant.
Before you even sit down to complete the application and submit it for review, you are going to want to collect all of the medical records, information, and any notes from the doctors and other professionals in the medical field that have been a part of treating your illness or injury. Any information that can be used to support the claim as evidence of your disability should be in your possession at the time you fill out your application, but it will need to be no more than 60 days since the information has been documented.
You may also need to know that there is nothing an attorney can do for your case until your application has been denied. Don’t use this as an excuse to not have someone picked out for your case though. Schedule an appointment and meet with a couple attorneys and explain to them why you are applying for Social Security. Make a decision on who you would like to have represent you and notify them the day you find out your case has been denied.
When you are making your decision, take the time to discuss with the attorney their statistics on how many cases they have represented and how many have been approved. Out of those who have been approved to receive benefits, how many of them received the full amount of benefits that were available? How long has the attorney been practicing? Are they new to the region or have they been practicing law where you are located for a good amount of time? These are all factors you will want to take into consideration before making your decision.
One of the biggest issues applicants will face is that they fail to realize the application process is just that. A long and often frustrating process. It is not unusual for it to be several months before a decision is made. There may be additional trips to a doctor’s office or medical facility during the time. All of the additional records and information will need to be submitted to the Social Security Administration in a timely manner.
It can often be a good idea to keep a personal journal during the time of your wait. Take notes and keep a journal of the pain and limitations you experience during your worst days. Make sure to write down which activities you were not able to do and the problems these limitations created in your daily life. Make sure that you take these notes and the journal with you to each doctor’s visit in order to discuss them with the doctor.
Do not rely on your ability to just remember these days. Simply recalling how you felt and what you were going through is not as convincing as having detailed information about the days that created the most difficulty for you.
