Self-Help Guide: Applying For Social Security Disability Benefits (Part 2 of 5)

An Opinion About What You Can Still Do In Spite Of Your Impairment

Your doctor should describe your ability to perform work-related activities such as:

• walking
• standing
• sitting
• lifting
• carrying and handling objects

Every appointment is an opportunity for him/her to observe you doing these things. He/she should also comment on your ability to travel. If you have difficulty traveling to your appointments and elsewhere, say so and tell why.

Work-Related Difficulties

Make sure he/she knows what types of work you do or have done and what work-related difficulties your condition causes. Be specific. For example:

This type of graphic description is good background information for your doctor.

Multiple Doctors / Multiple Impairments

A word about multiple doctors and multiple impairments: What I've said about "your doctor" refers to each doctor who is regularly treating you for a serious condition. And if you have more than one serious condition the combined effect of your impairments will be a factor in determining your ability to work.

You should document each impairment in the manner described above, and you should also have discussions with each of your doctors about the total effect of all your conditions on your ability to function.

Also, think about how one condition can negatively affect your treatment for another condition. Often, your medical evidence is sufficient to explain any conflicts. But sometimes these relationships are less clear to everyone else than they are to you so if you're having this kind of problem, discuss it with your doctor(s).

Letting Your Doctor Know

When you're ready to apply for SSDI, be sure to let your doctor know, and ask him/her to help you by submitting a report promptly. Ask if he/she has a copy of "The Blue Book". If not, offer yours!

If you do all of the things listed above, there's a good chance that the information vital to your disability claim will be in your chart. And if the information is there, it's likely to find its way into a report.

Applying For Social Security Disability Benefits - A 5 Part Self-Help Guide

In the next part, Part 3 - Get Organized, I'll tell you how to organize record keeping and information gathering to save you time when you apply for benefits.

Related Resources - Social Security Disability Benefits

About the author: Janie Laubscher was directly involved in the Social Security disability claims process throughout her 25-year career with the Social Security Administration. As a Claims Representative, she helped applicants complete their applications for SSDI benefits, and as a manager, she oversaw the entire disability process in her offices. She also worked as a disability determination specialist for the agency in her state that makes disability decisions for Social Security. In that position, she made the disability decision on initial SSDI claims. More recently, after her retirement, she was a successful applicant for her own SSDI benefits.

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