You feel betrayed. Your health struggles have overwhelmed you, affecting every facet of your life. And this includes work. Because of your inability to perform your job, you dutifully file for Social Security disability benefits. You deserve them. However, the Social Security Administration (SSA) denied your application.
The notice does not seem right and does not seem fair. However, you are not the only person to experience this situation. Between 2009 and 2018, worker applications for disability benefits were denied 66% of the time. Prepare to file an appeal because the SSA approves most appeals. Still, the initial news eats at you. Why was your application denied?
Almost 500,000 workers denied benefits
In 2018, nearly 500,000 workers were denied in their initial applications for Social Security disability insurance, according to the SSA’s Annual Statistical Report on the Social Security Disability Insurance Program released this month. The number represents a 14% decrease compared with the more than 581,000 applications denied in 2017. The most recent statistics from 2018 also represent the lowest number of worker-related denials since 2001.
Here are the main reasons for those denials in 2018:
- They had the ability to do other work: 40%
- The physical or mental impairment was not severe enough: 24.2%
- The individuals had the ability to perform their usual past work: 9.3%
- Their impairment was not expected to last 12 months: 4.6%
The remaining 21.9% of the denials were attributed to other factors that included: the impairment was related to drug or alcohol addiction; insufficient medical evidence was provided; the failure to cooperate with investigators; failing to abide by prescribed treatment; no longer wanting to pursue the claim; and returning to work before disability could be confirmed.
In your situation, you must adhere to persistence and patience. The chance for a successful appeal remains strong. And in this scenario, always rely on the insight and counseling of a seasoned attorney.
