If you or someone you know
recently became disabled and have been thinking about applying for
Social Security disability benefits, there’s something you
can do to get the process off to a good start.
Visit the “Disability
Starter Kit” at
www.socialsecurity.gov/disability. It will help you prepare for
your disability interview and guide you through the application process.
The starter kit takes some of the mystery out of applying for disability
benefits. It gives general information about the disability programs
and about the process we use to decide whether or not you qualify for
disability benefits. The kit also provides guidelines about the specific
information and documents we will ask you for during the interview.
Each disability starter kit
contains: a fact sheet that answers most questions people ask about
filing for disability benefits; a checklist of documents and information
we will request; and a worksheet to help you gather and organize
the information you will need. The fact sheet provides the Social
Security definition of “disability” and
explains how we decide whether your condition is severe enough to
meet the eligibility criteria. It also gives tips on steps you can
take to speed up the decision-making process.
The checklist provides a list of the information we need for most
disability claims. That includes documents such as your birth certificate,
latest W-2 form and military discharge papers, and information such
as the names and addresses of all the doctors and other health professionals
who have treated you.
The worksheet is designed to reflect many of the most important questions
we ask during the disability application interview, such as a description
of your impairment(s) and the date you became disabled. In addition
to the information about your treatment sources as outlined in the
checklist, it also asks you to list the medications you take and the
medical tests you have had. And it asks for information about the kinds
of jobs you have held.
Take a look at the disability
starter kit now at www.socialsecurity.gov/disability,
or call 1-800-772-1213, TTY 1-800-325-0778 and ask that a kit be
mailed to you.
When you’re ready
to apply, the most convenient way to do it is online at www.socialsecurity.gov/applyfordisability ![]()
The authors are from the
Social Security Public Affairs Office in Minneapolis
