finding a lawyer before you need one

When you are unable to work at your job due to a medical condition, your financial situation can only worsen. You might be facing unpaid bills, medical expenses, defaults on loans, foreclosures, and more. Social Security offers workers benefits, but there are often long delays in approval. If only there was a way to get through the Social Security approval process faster. While getting approved for benefits can often take months and months, there are some specific things you can do to help ensure that your claim progresses through the system without delay. Read on to learn more.

Stay in the loop

Some people fill out their Social Security application and then sit back to wait on the approval. That behavior seldom leads to a quick and successful claim process, however. As the old saying goes, "The squeaky wheel gets the grease," and following up on your claim on a regular basis can be beneficial. Your application can sit on an examiner's desk (or computer) for weeks or months, and these examiners almost always have hefty caseloads. Periodic phone calls to check on the status of your claim might spur the examiner to push your claim through quicker just to end the phone calls. Be reasonable, however, and don't phone every day or every week. Doing so could annoy the examiner into denying your claim instead of approving it.

Check on the completeness of the application

Your application will likely be accompanied by other paperwork, such as medical records and other important forms of proof. It's a bit disconcerting to find out that your claim was denied due to the lack of the very paperwork that you know you included. Phone in and verify that your application is free of omissions and that they have all the paperwork from you they need at the present time.

Be complete with the medical proof

You cannot be careful enough when it comes to proof of your medical condition. Take your time and make sure the details are correct, exact, and complete when you list:

1. Doctors who have treated you for the condition

2. The complete addresses and phone number for all medical facilities that have treated you for your condition, including the ones that performed diagnostic testing on you.

3. Dates when you first became disabled, when you stopped working and of each and every time you visited a doctor or medical facility.

No matter how adept you may be at the application process, you still might be denied. Speak to a Social Security lawyer such as those with Gordon & Pont to learn more about appealing the decision and getting the benefits you need.