Today’s Wall Street Journal has a thoughtful article on the travails of obtaining disability payments from Social Security, specifically about how people underestimate the difficulty of the process. We frequently find clients who express amazement at this: they have always assumed these benefits they have paid for will be readily available in time of need.
“Workers who contribute part of their earnings to Social Security often underestimate what it takes to tap the benefits if they become permanently disabled. The process can be tricky and more time-consuming than people expect, and the weak economy appears to be contributing to a surge in applications.
“Applications for Social Security disability benefits rose more than 17% in the first quarter. There are 7.4 million people receiving disability benefits that average $1,063 a month.
“Those numbers are expected to rise as baby boomers age, so it can pay to know the claims process. Here are seven common errors to avoid:
First, Misdefining disability
Many people erroneously think they can collect benefits as long as they are unable to do their regular job. A person must be unable to perform any substantial work and have a medical condition that has lasted or is expected to last at least a year or to result in death. It’s not only what you can do or have been doing but anything they think you’re suited for. Others include wating too long to apply,being disorganized, failing to get help, making financial errors. Read full article here: